HF II Regional - Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons

As part of the second phase of the European Union and the Council of Europe co-funded cooperation framework “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility II), the Council of Europe implemented a Regional Action on “Enhancing penitentiaries capacities in addressing radicalization in prisons in Western Balkans”. The Action was implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Justice and the P/CVE coordination bodies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Republic of Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia…. The Action included a wide spectrum of other national stakeholders and civil society organizations active in the penitentiary field and countering violent extremism and radicalisation in prisons.

The main aim of the Action was to enhance regional security by improving the inter-institutional exchange of knowledge and good practices in the region in respect of radicalization in prisons, with a view on providing penitentiary system staff with necessary standards, tools and instruments needed to respond appropriately. Another important goal was to empower in-county multi-agency coordination to counter radicalization in prison and to provide adequate post-penal support to released violent extremist offenders.

The Action also assisted the national authorities to ensure that the application of the tools and mechanisms on national level with regards to addressing radicalisation in prisons further strengthens in light of the identified good practices in the region.

The Action’s duration was set at 36 months and it iwas completed by 31 December 2022, with an overall budget of 2,000,000.000 Euros.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Rehabilitation Program and Treatment Plan for Violent Extremist Prisoners (VEPs) in Serbia finalised

Representatives from the Serbian Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior and prison staff, were unanimous at the 4th session of the Working Group in recognising the importance of proper identification and rehabilitation of VEPs and radicalised prisoners. Supported by an intentional Council of Europe consultant, they accepted the methodology for individualised treatment of VEPs, followed by fruitful discussion on challenges expected and necessary preconditions for piloting the programme in practice.

Participants acknowledged the need for further training on proper application of the above instruments and foster prison staff capacities to define and better structure concrete rehabilitation measures for VEPs. Motivational interviewing, building of a trustful professional relationship with VEPs and ways dynamic security can directly impact their rehabilitation progress, were highlighted among the training needs. As direct response to these needs, under the auspices of the project specific component for Serbia, Train-of-Trainers programme for prison staff in Serbia will be implemented in early 2021.

The activity was implemented on 24 November 2020 as a hybrid event, within the scope of the Regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans” co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Belgrade 24 November 2020