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Prison practitioners learn from their peers in working with violent extremist prisoners

The sustainable and continuous professionalisation of prison practitioners is one of the key prerequisites for ensuring the long-term success of systemic prevention and response to prison radicalisation. It is also at the core of effective and adequate management and rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and other prisoners at risk from radicalisation.

Recognising the importance of establishing an internal mechanism for transferring skills, knowledge and expertise, the Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS) has taken steps to enhance peer-to-peer learning among prison practitioners working with VEPs and at-risk prisoners. This approach will enable self-sustainable capacity building of newcomers to the prison service or experienced professionals seeking to advance their expertise.

Thus, with the support of EU and Council of Europe, twenty-five practitioners coming from High Security Prison (HSP) and Dubrava Prison participated in a cascade training session conducted on 20 – 21 March 2025 in Istog, where they increased their knowledge and skills in application of the VEPs instruments and programmes. These tools and programmes are specifically designed for screening signs of radicalisation, conducting risk and needs assessment of VEPs, supporting rehabilitation efforts and preparing prisoners for reintegration upon release. The training was led by their peers who shared practical insight and experience gained from the 2024 pilot implementation of these instruments and programs at HSP and Dubrava Prison.  

The cascade session was supported by the regional action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release”, under auspices of the third phase of Horizontal Facility Programme, co- funded by European Union and Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

 

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* *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Istog/Istok 20-21 March
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Fifty practitioners to enhance skills in provision of occupational therapy

Following the adoption of the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (OT), as well as the Training of Trainers (ToT) on OT that took place in January 2024, three 2-day cascade training sessions were organised in the course of February and March 2024.  Fifty professionals, mainly from the Prison Health Department, along with representatives from the Correctional Services, Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, and the Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities, were trained on this important form of therapy.

To complement the theoretical aspects and provide the trainees with practical knowledge, some of the sessions were conducted in the Dubrava Prison, in a section which houses prisoners with both mental and somatic problems. This on-site training allowed the participants to observe and understand the application of OT principles in a real-life setting, thus enhancing their learning experience by connecting theory and practice.

These cascade training sessions allowed the participants to further improve their skills in applying the OT Guidelines and tools in prisons and other closed institutions, a concept which was thus far not utilised in a structured manner. Furthermore, training healthcare and correctional professionals together helps them further strengthen the inter-institutional cooperation in the treatment and rehabilitation of some of the most vulnerable members of the society.

Each of these sessions were facilitated by two trainers who had participated in the ToT in January and were supervised and mentored by a Council of Europe consultant who has been involved in the process since the very beginning, thus further strengthening institutional capacity to provide training.

The activity was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty”.

 

 

*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Istog/ Istok 26 March 2024
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