The International Conference “R2PRIS Radicalisation Prevention in Prisons” took place in Lisbon, Portugal, on the 3rd of July, 2018. IPS_Innovative Prisons Systems and BSAFE LAB (UBI Beira Interior University) – in collaboration with the Portuguese Prison and Probation Administration – were the organisers of the event.
The conference was attended by over sixty participants from seventeen countries, including not only the neighbouring Spain but also Belgium, France, UK, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, and other European countries.
The conference focused especially on the R2PRIS approach to radicalisation prevention in prisons; the participants had the chance to learn about the assessment tools and training programme that have been developed in the framework of the R2PRIS project, which are intended both for prison management staff and for practitioners.
The opening panel was chaired by Nuno Garcia, from BSAFE LAB of University of Beira Interior, and by Paulo Moimenta de Carvalho, Deputy-DG of the Portuguese Prison and Probation Service.
Pedro das Neves, CEO of IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, has followed the opening panel with a presentation about “Radicalisation Prevention in Prisons – The R2PRIS Approach”.
The last morning session – “Radicalisation, Readiness Assessment, and staff training” – was moderated by Adrian Neagoe (Head of International Cooperation of the Romanian Prison Administration) and Özkan Aslipek (Head of R&D section of the Turkish Prison Administration).
In the afternoon the conference programme has continued with a roundtable discussion about “Radicalisation Prevention in European Prisons”, with the participation of Iris Naert of the Belgian Prison Service, Tom Enger Deputy-DG at the Norwegian Prison and Probation Service, Geo Bogdan Burcu, Director of Counter-Terrorism at the Romanian Prison Service, Neşe Tok Toptaş, Judge responsible for terrorist offenders, from the Security Department of the Turkish Prison Administration, and Paulo Moimenta de Carvalho, Deputy-DG at the Portuguese Prison and Probation Service.
Prior to the closing, the ICPA and EUROPRIS representatives addressed the audience with their conclusions. The closing session was in charge of Nuno Garcia, Pedro das Neves, counting with the presence of Eugénia Inácio from the Portuguese Agency E+.