A selected group of 145 prison and probation professionals, coming from all six Western Balkans Beneficiaries[1], are improving their knowledge on addressing radicalisation in prisons and disengaging offenders from violence by undertaking the Council of Europe HELP course on Radicalisation Prevention.

The course was adapted to the specific local circumstances of each Beneficiary and launched respectively in the period between February and April 2021. The last virtual launching event was held on 8 April 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prison and probation practitioners from North Macedonia and Kosovo* have already completed the course, whereas the others will finalise it by June 2021.

Thanks to this online course, the prison and probation professionals enhance their understanding of the relevant international standards and domestic legal framework. Furthermore, they acquire practical skills on identification of radicalisation and management of violent extremist behaviour, useful for their day-to-day work. Once the course is completed in all Beneficiaries, it will be opened for additional number of prison and probation professionals from the region, thus maximizing its outreach to the professionals dealing with prevention and countering violent extremism.

The HELP course on Radicalisation Prevention was launched in all six Western Balkans Beneficiaries within the scope of the Regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans” that is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, implemented by the Council of Europe.

[1] Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

* 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.