Practitioners and researchers discuss a European framework to optimise the disengagement and reintegration of extremist and radical offenders. This new project also covers returning foreign terrorist fighters and their families.
Many European countries urgently face the issue of extremist offenders and radicalised individuals in prison. In this context, disengagement and reintegration efforts are crucial. However, the transition between prison and probation is particularly vulnerable in their reintegration. Hence, there is a critical need to train the staff involved in this process and optimise the practices for better results.
How can exit practitioners comprehensively contribute to VETOs’ reintegration?
Despite their current work with communities vulnerable to radicalisation, exit practitioners may not have the necessary knowledge or tools to successfully contribute to the reintegration process of violent extremist and terrorist offenders (VETOs). EUTEx aims to fill this gap.
The project consortium believes that effective rehabilitation can only be achieved through a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approach. Therefore, the best strategy is three-fold: 1) Enhance cooperation among stakeholders; 2) Use solid risk assessment; and 3) Ensure continuity of care from day one.
To this end, the EUTEx project will create an evidence-based framework to support disengagement and reintegration professionals. Furthermore, in line with this up-to-date, effective and proven pool of knowledge, the partners will develop a training course and a risk assessment tool. These materials will be provided to exit practitioners in another step toward optimising VETOs’ reintegration efforts.
EUTEx has officially started on the 18th of January, 2022. The project consortium gathered on an online kick-off meeting to discuss the project’s aims, expected outcomes and first steps.
The Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP) is the project promoter and project partners include IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (Portugal), Scenor (Austria), Neustart (Austria), Federal Ministry of Justice (Austria), Institute for Democracy and Mediation (Albania), Centre for the Study of Radicalisations and their Treatments (CERT) (France), Bremen Senate of Justice and Constitution (Germany), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Kosovo), Partners Kosova Center for Conflict Management (Kosovo), European Strategies Consulting (Romania), Elcano Royal Institute (Spain), and Transform (Sweden).
To find out more about EUTEx, visit the project’s website.