Project

The WayOut project – Integrated Exit Programme for Prisons and Probation – is fundamentally aimed at building a common framework to evaluate Exit programmes along with the development of an innovative and integrated programme based on proven effectiveness approaches.

Ultimately the project will improve and facilitate the implementation of Exit Programmes across the Criminal Justice system, namely in prison and probation settings. Hence, this project responds to one of the European Union’s security concerns: the problem of radicalisation leading to violent extremism.

Services

Where

Belgium
France
Germany
Portugal

Funding

European Commission: Directorate-General Justice and Consumers (DG Justice Programme)

Objectives

Provide a detailed account of the current state of the art in deradicalisation research and other relevant disciplines related to desistance and rehabilitation.

Develop a common framework to systematically evaluate exit programmes.

Create an integrated programme based on approaches with proven effectiveness.

Develop a training course on exit strategies for practitioners.

Raise awareness among law enforcement officials about the benefits of implementing such programmes.

Expected outcomes

Improved and facilitated implementation of Exit Programmes that are based on approaches with proven effectiveness.

Increased awareness and understanding by the Criminal justice professionals (judiciary, prisons, probation, and community organisations) about Exit programmes.

More capable prison staff to deal with inmates at risk of radicalisation or who are already radicalised.

Better understanding of what works in the field of Exit strategies at the European level

Prisons and probation systems will implement the necessary and appropriate tools to analyse existing networks, collect information and develop communication processes between different organisations: community-prison-probation-police-intelligence services.

The lessons learned from the project will feed into the European debate and inform policymakers, obtaining the confidence of judges, prosecutors and all those responsible for adopting these strategies, as well as the community at large.