The University of Malta is currently participating in an EU project supported by the European Commission Directorate General Justice and Consumers entitled: FAIR: Fight Against Inmates’ Radicalisation. This project focuses on the de-radicalisation, disengagement and rehabilitation of prison inmates, as well as the training of professionals working in prisons on how to deal with potential or already radicalised inmates.
This is being done by:
- researching best practices of prevention and combat of radicalisation, setting up a web platform collecting data and experiences on the phenomenon
- assessing the specific needs of prison operators concerning their knowledge on the radicalisation phenomenon and their relation with vulnerable/radicalised detainees
- consequently, the aim is to train them to boost their competences and skills both to detect early signs of radicalisation and to deal with radicalised detainees’ needs and treatment, facilitating a constructive and collaborative environment
- elaborating innovative methodologies to identify and monitor radicalised individuals or those vulnerable to radicalisation in prisons
- starting up a rehabilitation programme inside prisons aimed at addressing cultural, identity, religious, ideological, emotional and value paradigms of the radicalised or vulnerable detainees, so to assist them in a gradual process of detachment from their extremist views
- studying the feasibility of an experimental alternative model, external to prisons, for the gradual rehabilitation and reintroduction into society of detainees at risk of radicalisation or willing to disengage from extremist groups
- involving all the key stakeholders necessary to set up agreements that enable the concrete application of the conceived model.
To achieve this, UM is collaborating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security, namely Corradino Correctional Facility and the Department of Probation and Parole.
FAIR addresses and actively includes the following target groups through several activities:
- 170 Professionals working in the prison system are included in the discussion groups and training programme for prison operators. The goal is to boost their competences and skills, and to set up the alert system to detect and monitor the radicalisation process inside the prison. The programme follows analyses of European best practices on measures to prevent and combat violent radicalisation, while also mapping prison operators’ needs. The programme is supported with two web tools: a web platform with useful resources and an online consultation service for prison operators. Both are disseminated via social networks and live events in 9 partner countries 50 inmates, either openly radicalised or vulnerable to extremist recruitment, are involved in the rehabilitation programme in 8 EU prisons (Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia).
- 162 stakeholders, representatives from institutions and the judiciary system, are involved in disseminating the model of alternative detention centres for the rehabilitation of radicalised inmates. The goal is to reach agreements that allow for the concrete operational feasibility in prison systems.
For more information visit fair-project.eu