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Regional Working Group session on screening and risk and needs assessment of violent extremist offenders in prison

A total of 18 prison practitioners and representatives from the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) co-ordinating bodies from the Western Balkans region exchanged their experiences and views on identification of violent extremist offenders (VEOs), screening practices and application of risk and needs assessment tools in their prisons.

The two-day Working Group session resulted in exchange of best practices and lessons learnt. Based on this output a discussion paper on good approaches and identified weaknesses, clearly presenting the findings and recommendations on the ‘way forward’ and setting common methodology to be applied throughout the region, is to be developed as the next step.

The meeting took place in Podgorica on 15-16 October 2019. It was organised within the scope of the Regional Action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in Western Balkans”, under the umbrella of the Horizontal Facility Programme for Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

 

Podgorica, Montenegro 17 October 2019
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What is the goal?

  • To enhance the respect of human rights of persons deprived of their liberty;
  • To strengthen the safeguards against ill-treatment and accountability of police and prison staff;
  • To improve reintegration programmes for prisoners for their safe return into the society. 

Who benefits from the Action?

  • Police Administration, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health;
  • Detained, sentenced persons, and psychiatric patients;
  • Civil Society Organization;
  • Citizens of Montenegro who will be living in a more secure and safe society. 

How will the Action work?

  • It builds on the results of the Action “Enhancing human rights protection of detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro“ under Horizontal Facility I (2016-2019);
  • Through technical expertise, using good practices from the Council of Europe members states, improved legislative and institutional framework, capacity building and peer learning through cascade trainings, as well as through working groups and piloting of treatment programmes for prisoners;
  • Small grants awards to the most experiences civil society organisations active in the field. 

What do we expect to achieve?

  • Improved prevention of ill-treatment and combat impunity by police and prison staff;
  • Enhanced capacities of Police service to investigate cases of ill-treatment;
  • Fight against violent extremism in prison is well established;
  • Reintegration programmes for inmates enhanced through rehabilitative and occupational activities;
  • Safeguards against ill-treatment at the Psychiatric Hospital Dobrota enhanced. 

How much will it cost?

  • The total budget of the Action is 750.000 EUR
  • The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

  • Criminal Law Cooperation Unit, Action against Crime Department, Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law website:https://www.coe.int/criminal-law-coop
  • Horizontal Facility website: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/horizontal-facility/home
  • Marija Simić, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, [email protected], +381 63 601 337
  • Besnik Baka, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, [email protected], +355 69 217 8430