The deadly attacks in Madrid (2004), London (2005), Glasgow (2007) and Stockholm (2010), followed by the foiled attempts and arrests in Copenhagen (2010) and Berlin (2011) and the recent attack in France (2015) have all contributed to move back the issue of violent extremism and “radicalisation” up on the European political agenda. Furthermore, political concerns about youth radicalization especially in Western Europe and North America gained momentum with the publication of alarmist intelligence reports and the news reports about European citizens flocking to Syria to fight, mostly alongside the Syrian opposition (Bigo, Bonelli Guittet & Ragazzi, 2014, Study for the LIBE Committee).
The need for an assessment of the threat posed by these groups is particularly clear in the recent EU Commission Declaration of January 2014 calling EUMS to increase their efforts to prevent radicalization and extremism. In the debate about radicalization and violent extremism, prisons are often described as “breeding grounds” for radicalisation. The criminologist Harvey Kushner argues that Western prisons are one of the main recruitment grounds for Al Qaeda (Kushner & Davis 2004). This should come as no surprise since prisons are ‘places of vulnerability’ that provide near-perfect conditions in which radical, religiously framed ideologies can flourish.
As many studies demonstrate, prison systems have always played an important role in the development of a militant organization’s ideology, in the recruitment of new members and in the reinforcement of the narratives of every radical movement of the modern period. However, these cases are far too often considered as evidence of prison radicalization. More cautions approaches to radicalization show a less dramatic reality: since prisons are over-crowded closed environments, radicalization may be seen as a strategy of resistance to the prison system (Khosrokhavar, 2004 ) or as a way to escape from the difficulties of prison life (Spalek and El-Hassan, 2007; Clear and Sumter, 2002, Dammer, 2002 cit. by Bigo et al., 2014), rather than as an inexorable step in a process of extremism.
The project R2PRIS - Radicalization Prevention in Prisons (2015-1-PT01-KA204-013062) has been approved for funding by the ERASMUS+ funding agency. Aligned with the current problematics of radicalization of inmates in European prisons, the R2PRIS project aims to:
1. Create awareness on the broad picture of terrorism, the mind set and narratives used by understanding a) why prisons are a breeding ground for radicalization; b) the difference between conversion, radicalization and moving to extremist views (terminology); c) the pathways and levels of radicalization, role in the network; d) recruitment tactics employed within the prison environment; e) indicators on how to identify vulnerable people at risk of radicalization;
2. Develop the tools and instruments for prison administration and line-level staff to recognize signs of radicalization at an early stage within their specific facility;
3. Provide common, consistent and effective instruments to help staff report their observations to the appropriate intelligence staff;
4. Provide model procedures for intelligence staff to vet the data they receive from prison staff and to appropriately interpret it;
5. Establish a series of training programmes and tools for all staff within a prison to respond appropriately to potential vulnerable individuals at risk of radicalization.
The consortium is composed by:
A. Research & development providers:
- BSAFE LAB / UBI University - project promotor (PT)
- IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (PT)
- CRSP Romanian Centre for Penitentiary Studies (RO)
B. Penitentiary administrations:
- NAP Romanian prison system (RO)
- Belgium prison system (BE)
- Kriminalomsorgen - Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service, NO
- Turkish prison administration (TR)
- PDGRSP, Portugal (as associated partner)
- … and other prison systems that may want to participate.
C. Dissemination partners
- ICPA International Corrections and Prisons Association EuroPris
- The European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services
The kick off meeting of the R2PRIS project will take place at the Beira Interior University on the 3rd and 4th November 2015.
An open class involving partners and the academic community is foreseen.
For further information about the R2PRIS project, please contact us.
Bringing innovation in traditional, hierarchical and complex organizations like the prison systems is not an easy process. Here innovation is often induced by the change of perception of society regarding the mission and role of the execution of sentences and rehabilitation services; by changes in regulatory frameworks; the introduction of new technologies and processes; or the integration of external services and cooperation with civil society organizations on a reciprocal relationship.
There are many challenges faced by prison systems in the “intelligent society" and that is why, we’ve invited prison systems representatives, consulting and technology-based companies, NGOs, education and training organizations and other citizens' organizations to discuss how can they can contribute to innovate in prison services.
The event, organized by IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, the BSAFE LAB and B2Citizens Association took place on January 13 at in Lisbon at the Microsoft auditorium.
Programme:
14:00 - Opening Session
- Maria João Benquerença, B2CITIzens Association and ISA group
- Pedro das Neves, Board member of the BSAFE LAB and of IPS_Innovative Prison Systems
14:40h – “Modern prison systems management: challenges and opportunities"
- Licinio Lima, Deputy director general of the General Directorate of Rehabilitation and Prison Services, Portugal
- Hans-Meurisse, President of EUROPRIS and Director General of the General Directorate of Prison Services, Belgium
- Portugal accession ceremony to EUROPRIS (Hans-Meurisse, Licinio Lima)
15:20 - Coffee break
15:40 - Round Table I: "Technology and modernization opportunities of the penitentiary systems"
Moderation: Pedro Pinto Lourenço, National Security and Public Safety, Microsoft Portugal and Nuno Garcia, visiting professor, coordinator of the UBI BSAFE LAB
Technological trends: Steven Van De Steene, ICT Director of the Belgium Penitentiary, coordinator of EUROPRIS the ICT group.
- Miguel Castelo-Branco (telemedicine and telemonitoring), President of CHCB, FCS UBI
- Maria Benquerença (energy and energy efficiency), ISA Energy
- Paulo Janeiro (mobility), Tetratab
- Miguel Sales Dias (AAL, Gamification), Microsoft Portugal
- Tiago Borges (geo-referencing, fleet management and vehicle and persons location), INOSAT Global
16:40 - Round Table II: "Training and Rehabilitation: cooperate to re-enter the twenty-first century"
Moderator: Fr. João Gonçalves, national coordinator of the prison ministry (catholic church).
- Jorge Monteiro, coordinator of the DGRSP programmes competence centre
- Ana Paula Filipe, director of the training department of IEFP (Portuguese employment services)
- Licinio Lima, deputy director general of the General Directorate of Rehabilitation and Prison Services
- Florin Lobont, Director of the Romanian Centre for Prison Studies, West University of Timisoara
17:30 - Summary of the completion of the work and closing session, Pedro das Neves
For further information about this seminar, please contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The project "ECOPRIS - Ecological Economics in Prison Work Administration" promoted by the BSAFE LAB of the University of Beira Interior has been approved for funding by the ERASMUS + Portuguese National Agency.
ECOPRIS has been ranked as #1 in the ERASMUS + national ranking.
With an overall budget of approximately 342.000,00 euro, the ECOPRIS Project aims to:
1. Create 1 joint curricula (work-based VET training courses) to promote inmates reintegration - through prison work initiatives - by developing staff management skills, namely: prison work and industries awareness, marketing, management, innovation, entrepreneurship, communication, ICT , ecological economics and teamwork among prison staff;
2. Train 36 prison staff, in 3 countries, in multidisciplinary teams of 6 members (2 per country), in 3 short-term transnational training events, to develop and implement innovative „prison work” actions (engaging at least 20 inmates per country);
3. Improve community and businesses participation in staff training and inmates labour reintegration actions through the engagement of key stakeholders and experts in national seminars, validation workshops, transnational events and trainings' pilot actions.
Project partners include:
- BSAFE LAB Law enforcement, justice and public safety research and technology transfer laboratory of Beira Interior University, Portugal
- IPS_Innovative Prison Services (Qualify Just, Ltd), Portugal
- DGRSP Direcção Geral da Reinserção e dos Serviços Prisionais (Portuguese probation and prison administration), Portugal
- ANP National Prison Administration of Romania, prison of Timisoara, Romania
- CPIP Centrul Pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente, Romania
- Centrul de studii penitenciare - West University of Timisoara, Romania
- Ceza ve Tevkifevleri Genel Müdürlüğü (Turkish prison administration), Turkey
- EUROPRIS The European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services, The Netherlands
For further information about the ECOPRIS project or IPS activity in prison work/prison industries area, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BSAFE LAB Concept
Founded as a result of the collaboration between QUALIFY JUST IPS_Innovative Prison Systems and UBI – Universidade da Beira Interior, the BSAFE LAB is an open interdisciplinary research and technology transfer laboratory aiming to foster and develop new research and technology transfer in the fields of law enforcement, justice and public safety in scientific areas ranging from arts & humanities, including law, history and philosophy, biological & medical sciences, physical sciences & engineering, social & behavioral sciences & education.
Its main objectives consist of fostering the advancement of scientific knowledge, the effectiveness of public and civil society agencies and the reinforcement of SME competitiveness in the fields of law enforcement, justice and public safety through:
- the development of new research projects (involving public organizations, private sector and government agencies);
- the technical supervision of master’s and PhD thesis;
- the implementation of innovation demonstration actions (technology transfer pilots and experimentation playgrounds) involving SME’s and public sector agencies;
- the establishment of partnerships with research and government institutions worldwide;
- providing technical assistance to third parties (companies and government agencies).
Research and technology transfer
BSAFE LAB coordinates fundamental and applied research projects in the fields of law enforcement, justice and public safety.
Our research teams are composed by renowned researchers belonging to different international research organizations, private sector and public agency representatives.
Organization
BSAFE LAB is a research and technology transfer laboratory within the University of Beira Interior (UBI).
While being financially accountable within the University and being fully aligned with UBI’s strategic plans, BSAFE LAB has scientific independence and functions according to its specific rules and triennial strategic plan, approved by its members.
According to its internal regulations, governance bodies consist of:
- Executive board and Strategic advisory board
- Scientific Commission
- Scientific board
BSAFE LAB research domains
- Penitentiary, prisons and probation
- prison planning, architecture and engineering
- prison management
- education and reinsertion of minors and juveniles
- risk assessment of offenders and ex-offenders
- reinsertion of inmates
- community sentences
- relation between inmates, family and community
- impact of prison in offenders family and children
- prison work/prison industries
- relation with employers
- mental illness in prisons
- health in prison
- suicide prevention
- ICT for prisons and probation (digital communication, sensors, robotics, drones, internet of things, cloud computing, learning technologies, e-health, wearable and mobile devices, gamification, non-cooperative biometric recognition…)
- Electronic monitoring
- e-health in prisons
- learning technologies for inmates and staff training
- public-private partnerships in justice
- other relevant areas.
To be extended to other areas of law enforcement, justice and public safety.
For further info about the BSAFE LAB, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
