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.

EuroPris in cooperation with ICPA and CEP will organise on 27-29th May 2015 the first Global Corrections Digital Technology Conference, ‘Technology in Corrections: Challenges for the Future’ and will be hosted by the Justice Department, Government of Catalonia.

Close to the famous Arc de Triomf and Place Catalunya, the conference venue is located at the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training, in the centre of Barcelona.

The aim of this conference is to:

• Challenge the private sector to develop innovative digital solutions for use in corrections to address issues facing prisons and probation today;
• Provide networking opportunities for technology experts in the corrections arena;
• o promote the use and implementation of advanced Digital Technology Solutions in corrections.

THE PROGRAMME
The programme will be underpinned by three main themes:

1) The collaboration, knowledge and information management within the whole Lifecycle of Offender Management;
2) The collaboration and participation of the Offender throughout this Lifecycle;
3) Improving Operational and Security processes both inside and outside the prison walls.


Delegates will be welcomed to the event at our evening reception on Wednesday 27th May (starting at 1900hrs). The conference itself will comprise a number of inspiring and engaging presentations with dialogues in smaller groups from both public and private perspectives on the challenges and possible solutions of using technologies in corrections.

Over the course of the event, participants will have the opportunity to interact and contribute during the dialogue sessions and to network and discuss issues in detail. Participants will also be invited to meet and greet in our exclusive ‘marketplace’ and to learn more about some of the present offerings from leading technology providers in the field.

REGISTER
Registration and payment should be completed in advance at www.corrections-technology.com.
A special package rate for the public sector of €195 includes welcome reception, conference kit and conference sessions, coffee breaks, lunch on Thursday and Friday.

Package rate for the private sector participants is €495 and includes welcome reception, conference kit and conference sessions, coffee breaks, lunch on Thursday and Friday.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter: #correctionstech2015

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This is an international event and experts from a wide range of backgrounds and sectors in the creation, development and the implementation of correctional technology solutions should seek to attend. This includes senior decision makers in correctional jurisdictions, heads of ICT departments, business improvement professionals, prison and probation management experts, analytical and research specialists and technology solution providers. We seek to attract a core audience of those presently working within the prison and probation sectors who are involved in the advancement of their respective jurisdictions through the implementation of digital technology initiatives. Overall we aim for this event to attract some 200 participants comprising public and private sector professionals from countries across the globe.

The 20th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services will be held on 9 and 10 June 2015 in Bucharest, Romania. It will be hosted by the Romanian Prison and Probation Services.

Its topic will be: “Strategic Challenges for Prison and Probation Services”. The main aim of the Conference will be to share information and experience how to manage prisons and probation services in times of economic crisis, cuts in staff and activities, whether and how opening prisons to outside agencies, private companies, civil society and the local communities could help prepare better prisoners for release without undermining safety and security.

An important topic will also be radicalisation of detainees and the role of prison and probation services in dealing with this problem.

In the Conference will take part Directors general of the prison administration and probation services of the 47 Council of Europe member states or their high ranking representatives. Representatives of the States enjoying observer status with the Council of Europe, as well as the European Union, the UN, EuroPris and the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) will also be invited to it.

The working languages will be French, English and Russian with simultaneous interpretation.

For further info, visit the conference website

From the 21st to the 22nd January 2015 was held in Timisoara Penitentiary, the first meeting of the project "IDECOM - Innovation, Development and Communication for a better education in Prison Systems".

Project partners include:

- ANP National Prison Administration of Romania, prison of Timisoara, Romania
- 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
- Ministerul Justitiei al Republicii Moldova, Departamentul Institutiilor Penitenciare (prison administration), Moldova
- 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