Information exchange is the essence of cooperation and coordination between prisons, law enforcement agencies and security agencies. Maintaining a constant flow of information between all relevant actors is of key importance for achieving good results in the field of prevention of violent extremism and radicalisation within prisons, in the communities where former prisoners return, but also for effective reintegration of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and others prone to radicalisation, while taking into account the need to protect the human rights of prisoners.  

In this vein the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministries of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska developed a “Handbook on prison operational work” that includes standard operating procedures on the exchange of information and a training programme. Moreover, the Points of Contact (PoCs) within each prison and Single Points of Contact (SPoC) in the three Ministries of Justice were appointed and trained to collect, process, analyse and, where needed, forward the data to the law enforcement agencies.

To further operationalise the work of PoCs the prison professionals acting as local mentors provided them with advice and additional capacity building as well as assessed the current level of workability of the prison operational work. This evaluation meeting on the current state of play was held in Banja Luka on 3 December 2024.

Prison professionals from Tuzla, Zenica, Banja Luka, Mostar, Bijeljina, the State Prison, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the justice ministries of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska learned about the progress made so far, the challenges encountered and discussed future actions.

The participants agreed that prison operational work should take place in all prisons and not only in those where VEPs serve their sentence and recommended that further capacity building activities are held for PoCs in this respect with a common goal of keeping the prisons and the society safe.

This activity was implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe action “Ensuring sustainable penitentiary actions in managing rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ESPA-VEP)” funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.