SERA Preventing radicalisation in prisons -

P a g e | 3 INTRODUCTION Early prevention and detection of radicalisation are becoming part and parcel of governments’ counter-terrorism efforts worldwide. Although there is a growing body of literature focusing on radicalisation, there remains widespread disagreement surrounding the issue itself, how to conceptualise it and how to best address it. In the words of Belgian expert Rik Coolsaet, to this day radicalisation remains ‘ill-defined, complex and controversial’ (Coolsaet, 2011, p.240). The aim of this report is to collect approaches and practices in the field of prevention of radicalisation from France, Malta, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Turkey, at the European level and internationally, with a particular focus on the custodial setting. Due to the dearth of information about the success rate and effectiveness of current policies and programmes, a critical analysis of existing initiatives is not feasible. Thus, the present report can only provide a general overview of existing practices – particularly in the six partner countries – and put forward recommendations for the SERA programme. DEFINITION OF RADICALISATION The research phase of the SERA project sought to provide insight into the understanding and interpretation of radicalisation among prison, closed youth facilities, management, prison staff and frontline officials in the respective national contexts. The following definitions of radicalisation were collected by partners : Radicalisation is ….  An extremist and unique way of thinking , which does not consider other alternatives rather than one’s own, which involves violent actions and behaviour derived from lack of respect, responsibility and empathy towards the rest of society, other beliefs or culture  A wide concept which can embrace different aspects of extremism or radicalism, whether in politics, religion, sex…  An attitude that leads somebody to being more extremist or fanatic  Placing oneself in the most extremist side of an idea  Pushing ideas to extreme  Ideas or beliefs pushed to extreme positions  Lack of understanding and dialogue on the part of radicalised people  Exaltation and intolerance , lack of empathy  An extremist position in ideas, actions or behaviour  Adopting positions or ideas in an extreme or radical way  The process by which someone approaches the roots of a thought, theory or activity to the point of erasing global, heterodox, surrounding, and above all, opposing views.