Strasbourg, 02/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 2 March, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers adopted a series of guidelines to help the Council of Europe's 46 member states to prevent the radicalisation of prisoners and probationers.
Although it has been contained, radicalisation in prison is a fact, explains the text, calling for the deployment of enough resources and efforts in view of the potential danger posed by the individuals concerned.
Basically, the guidelines call for “full respect” of the European Convention of Human Rights, which obviously rules out torture and degrading treatment, while requiring respect of freedom of expression, religion and private life. It describes prison as a last resort, particularly for young offenders. The document states that is it crucial to do everything to improve the prospects of a crime-free life.
It is not always possible to avoid prison and what should happen to avoid the radicalisation of detainees? The CoE says that diversity must be respected because violence, racism, islamophobia and discrimination of any kind provide a fertile ground for radicalisation speech. Avoiding overpopulation and disproportionate punitive measures , while providing educational activities that structure daily life and allow the learning of new skills, is important, explains the text, stressing the importance of preserving a relationship of trust between detainees and guards.
The CoE says that recruiting people with language skills and cultural sensitivity is therefore in the forefront, as is the intervention of representatives of different faiths authorised by the penitential administration. The CoE says it is important to take account of cultural and religious dietary traditions, along with clothing “as far as possible.”
The guidelines focus on “dynamic security.” The role of prison staff is not restricted to being a guard and staff must be given the means of communicating with detainees, learning their concerns and assessing their risk of radicalisation. The CoE says that these tasks require training in cultural mediation and crisis management.
The incarceration of prisoners detained for offences relating to terrorism in high-security regimes must be regularly assessed on an individual basis and be subject to appeal before an independent body, explained the text, recommending the introduction of special anti-radicalisation programmes, notably calling on tutors and former violent extremists whose eye-witness accounts could have a deterrent effect on detainees. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)