The first working group (WG) session, gathering the representatives of entity Ministries of Justice, Federal Police Administration and Police of Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Centre of Social Welfare from Jajce, Bijeljina and Zenica prisons, and the State prison, took place on 25-27 October 2023 in Teslic.

The WG members initiated the development of Information Sharing Protocol (ISP), aiming to create procedures that would serve as a unique tool for a synchronized work and coordination between all institutions involved in the process of admission and management of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs). The session resulted in production of two draft documents, namely SOPs on inter-institutional cooperation during admission of VEPs in prison and SOPs on inter-institutional cooperation in managing them throughout their time in prison.

The counterparts agreed to continue working jointly on the two drafts with the aim to finalise them by the end of year and put in place clear procedures for prison staff and interagency cooperation that would cover all stages of VEPs’ reintegration, both in prison and after release.

This activity was organized within the framework of the project "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.