The Bremen Justice and Constitution Senator started more than a year ago to develop its own concept for dealing with extremist prisoners - taking on a pioneering role. From the very beginning, the concept was accompanied by diverse training actions and project, including international ones. Bremen's expertise in this area is now going to be used nationwide: Bremen recently began coordinating and moderating the nationwide training courses in the framework of the Council of Europe's HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) programme and the European Union-Council of Europe funded “HELP Radicalisation Prevention” project. This action has resulted in providing the first two German tutors in this international programme launched by the Council of Europe.

This is exactly what 30 employees of the Bremen justice system (25 employees of the probation - Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) and five from the social services of the justice system) recently did. Together with 30 Greek colleagues and 30 representatives of the Confederation of European Probationary Justice, they all successfully completed a "HELP Training" on the topic of "Prevention of Radicalisation in the Prison System". Following a face-to-face workshop lasting several days, the participants completed an online course, mainly in their free time.

Shortly before Christmas, State Councillor for Justice Björn Tschöpe took the opportunity to present the Bremen participants with the corresponding certificates: "Extremist acts make the headlines again and again - but often only for a few days. At the latest, when a verdict has been passed and the perpetrators are in custody, public interest recedes significantly. Then it is us, the employees in the prison system who ultimately bear the task of opposing extremist ideas - and of persuading radicalised prisoners to turn away from them. This is anything but an easy job", said State Councillor Tschöpe and praised the commitment of the employees: "The fact that 30 employees are committed to this issue and follow the Help course even after their working hours is rather an expression of the fact that your job does not simply end for them when the doors of the prison close behind you after work. Thank you very much for that!"

The fact that Bremen is now playing a leading role in the Help programme throughout Germany via the tutors trained by the Council of Europe also reflects the fact that the Hanseatic city's expertise in this field is recognised both nationally and internationally: "It is no coincidence that with our colleagues Lars Dietze and Stephan Schnaars, two Bremen prison officers are now coordinating and moderating the Help programme throughout Germany. Thank you very much for taking on this task and for the training that goes with it. Together you all make it clear how consistently and seriously Bremen and especially the employees of the prison are dealing with the topic of “deradicalisation of prisoners'", Tschöpe concluded.

  Council of Europe HELP e-learning platform

  News article in German on the website of Freie Hansestads Bremen