The second regional Working Group session on „Capacity building and training of prison and probation staff on addressing radicalisation and violent extremism“ discussed the needs and strengths of the current training and education curricula applied in practice in all six Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans region. This online event, which took place on 6-7 July 2020, further explored plethora of resources that can be used to enhance staff management and training approaches in dealing with violent extremist offenders (VEOs).

Major recommendations stemming from the session speak in favour of ensuring continuous training process and highlighted the necessity of introducing basic awareness raising sessions on radicalisation and identification techniques for all staff. Specialised training for front-liners and setting up multi-disciplinary teams is one of the main preconditions towards effective VEOs’ rehabilitation, while joint prison and probation training sessions, where possible, are much needed to ensure harmonised approaches and multi-agency co-operation. The recommendations will be used in the process of shaping the common capacity-development and training framework matrix, applicable in all Horizonal Facility Beneficiaries.

This activity was facilitated by two Council of Europe consultants and was organised within the scope of the regional action “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans” that is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, implemented by the Council of Europe.