R2Pris: Counter terrorism and security specialists gather in first meeting

Bringing together international experts in the field of radicalisation and national prison administrations, R2pris project aims to offer an innovative training programme for prison staff on how to recognise and prevent the process of radicalisation inside prisons.

Counter terrorism and security specialists from Norway, Romania, Turkey, Portugal, and the USA joined at the BSAFE LAB in Beira Interior University (Covilhã, Portugal) on the 3rd and 4th November 2015 in the framework of the kick-off meeting of the R2Pris project.

Radicalisation Prevention in Prisons (R2pris) project seeks to reduce radicalisation and extremism inside prisons by enhancing the competences of frontline staff (correctional officers, educational staff and psychologists, social workers) to identify, report and interpret signals of radicalisation and respond appropriately.

Main objectives:

Create awareness on the broad picture of terrorism, the mind set and narratives used by understanding:

– why prisons are a breeding ground for radicalisation;
– the difference between conversion, radicalisation and moving to extremist views (terminology);
– the pathways and levels of radicalisation, role in the network;
– recruitment tactics employed within the prison environment; and e) indicators on how to identify vulnerable people at risk of radicalisation;

Develop the tools and instruments for prison administration and line-level staff to recognize signs of radicalisation at an early stage within their specific facility;

Provide common, consistent and effective instrumentR2s to help staff report their observations to the appropriate intelligence staff;

Provide model procedures for intelligence staff to vet the data they receive from prison staff and to appropriately interpret it;

Establish a series of training programmes and tools for all staff within a prison to respond appropriately to potential vulnerable individuals at risk of radicalisation.

Foreseen products:

An innovative methodological framework for analysing deradicalisation and prevention of radicalisation strategies within prison;

A radicalization screening tool, with respective assessment materials and guidelines for prison administration and line-level staff to recognize signs of radicalisation at an early stage within their specific facility. The tool will be adapted to the specific legal and cultural context of the countries involved in the project;

A training course for all staff within a prison on how to detect and respond appropriately to potential vulnerable individuals at risk of radicalisation (an e-learning course and a train the trainer course)