PREPARE Preventing Radicalisation in Probation and Release – Perspectives and Practices at the Local Level
ment to initiate programmes.
proper
de-radicalisation
and
disengagement
Similarly, such programmes can also be rolled out in probation, as recommended by European institutions and other international platforms such as the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN)16, but further development and research in some Member States is required for that approach to be generalised. Furthermore, it seems crucial to identify how to properly ensure these former violent extremist offenders (VEOs) reintegrate into society and are rehabilitated; how to deliver effective measures to prevent recidivism, and how to prevent the radicalisation of other individuals and/or family members. All these policies will require Member States to deliver a properly balanced approach between repressive and preventative measures. We can identify several guiding principles and action lines generally accepted by European institutions and international fora, others that require further debate and development within the national strategies of Member States and yet others that are specific to European local authorities, depending on their needs and the trends at play locally. Primarily, the “Dynamic Security�17 concept put forward by the Council of Europe in their topical guidelines18 and accepted by other European and international fora is based on a new conception of the relationship between prison and probation staff and VEOs, which should be based on ethics and aimed at the VEOs complete rehabilitation and reintegration. 16. See, for example, RAN, RAN P&P and CEP (Confederation of European Probation) (Ex Post Paper), 2017. 17. Dynamic security is a concept and a working method whereby staff prioritise the creation and maintenance of everyday communication and interaction with prisoners based on professional ethics. It aims at better understanding prisoners and assessing the risks they may pose as well as ensuring safety, security and good order, contributing to rehabilitation and preparation for release. This concept should be understood within a broader notion of security, which also comprises structural, organisational and static security (walls, barriers, locks, lighting and equipment used to restrain prisoners when necessary). Council of Europe, Guidelines for prison and probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism, 2016. 18. Council of Europe, Guidelines for prison and probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism, 2016.
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