Radicalisation prevention works best as an integrated approach

The INTEGRA project shares its results, at the international level, to inform an integrated approach to preventing radicalisation.

The INTEGRA project, whose research and training have spanned three years, is reaching its end. At this point, the project’s outputs can help build a more integrated and effective approach to preventing radicalisation towards violent extremism in the prison, probation and community contexts. Those project outputs inform a more evidence-based approach by identifying and tackling the issues linked with the process of radicalisation.

In the final stretch of the project, the project’s consortium gathered all the knowledge, experience and products achieved and shared them with around 80 practitioners from around the world in an international online final conference on the 16^th and 17^th of December of 2020.

Among the products that have been disseminated at this event are:

a) State of the Art – an overview of the existing theory and practise on preventing radicalisation, leading to violent extremism, deradicalisation and disengagement practices in the criminal justice context across Europe;

b) Risk and Needs Assessment tool – to identify and assess the needs of the stakeholders involved in the process of tackling radicalisation leading to violent extremism inside and outside prisons;

c) Mentoring Model and Programme for community mentors – to provide social support, disengagement opportunities, and help build trust-based relationships, for example, with prison and probation staff, community members, and NGO professionals;

d) Integrated Training Programme – implemented across prison and probation services as well as the community;

e) Multiagency Cooperation Guide – for the effective implementation and follow-up of deradicalisation/disengagement/rehabilitation programmes.

Some of the participants in the final Conference of the INTEGRA project (above); Professor Elyamine Settoul (bottom left); Dr Bilel Ainine (below right)

The project consortium invited two renowned expert speakers to this conference: Dr Bilel Ainine, Researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Member of the Observatory of Political Radicalities (France) and Professor Elyamine Settoul, from the Emerging Security and Defence Research Team, CNAM – Conservatoire National des Arts et des Métiers (France).

These experts shared some of their vast knowledge and experience and focused their talks on radicalisation, radicalisation ideologies, deradicalisation and disengagement in prison settings.

The University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, in collaboration with IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, was the organising partner for the final international conference of the INTEGRA project.

INTEGRA Integrated Community, Probation and Prison Services Radicalisation Prevention Approach is a project co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.