The 2-day Round Table provided a venue for all relevant stakeholders to exchange ideas aiming toward improving the preparation for release of radicalised inmates and increasing the inter-agency cooperation with regards to provision of post-penal assistance to this category of persons. The participants discussed the possibilities for enhanced unitisation of the capacities of all participating organisations and institutions in the process, as well as inclusion of NGOs, religious and local communities in providing reintegration support to radicalised inmates after their release from prison.

The discussion took into consideration the standards and the principles enshrined in the Council of Europe Guidelines and Handbook for prison and probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism. One of the conclusions of the Round Table calls for development of common procedures on the role and the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders in providing post-penal support to radicalised inmates.

A total of 40 persons, namely government officials, prison authorities and staff, probation staff, social care services, the employment agency, representatives from the National Committee for Countering Violent Extremism and Counter-Terrorism, the Ombudsman’s Office, as well as NGOs and international organisations’ representatives, took active part at this event on 10-11 December 2018 in Skopje.

The Round Table on post-penal assistance to radicalised persons was organised within the scope of the Action “Strengthening the protection of the rights of sentenced persons”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey” and implemented by the Council of Europe.