Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans

Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022

TUESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2019

Topic: ADDRESSING RADICALISATION AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN PRISONS

09.00-09.30    Registration and welcome coffee

Moderator: Ms Tanja Rakusic-Hadzic, Head of the Criminal Law Co-operation Unit (CLCU), Action against Crime Department, DG I, Council of Europe

09.30-10.00    OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE

§  Mr Josip Grubeša, Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina

§  Mr Filip De Ceuninck, EU regional Counter-Terrorism Advisor, EU Delegation in Sarajevo

§  Mr Gianluca Esposito, Head of the Action against Crime Department, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe

Group photo

 10.15-11.00 SESSION 1:     SHARING EXPERIENCES, BUILDING SYNERGIES AND COMMON APPROACHES IN ADDRESSING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND RADICALISATION IN PRISONS

·         HF II Regional project “Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in Western Balkans” – presentation of the project’s objectives and planned activities – Mr Donche Boshkovski, CLCU programme manager, Council of Europe

·         The importance of coordinating P/CVE activities with the penitentiary and probation services – the example of the Republic of Albania – Ms Klejda Ngjela, expert for Education and Research, Coordination Centre for Countering Violent Extremism, Albania

·         The significance of establishing regional co-operation and collaboration between all relevant actors and institutions – Mr Pero Dunjić, Assistant Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska for execution of criminal sanctions, Ministry of Justice of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Discussion - Question & Answers

11.00-11.30    coffee-break

Moderator: Ms Raluca Ivan, CLCU project manager, Council of Europe

11.30-12.30 SESSION 2:      OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS BENEFICIARIES RELATED TO ADDRESSING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND RADICALISATION IN PRISONS

·         Albania – Mr Agim Ismaili,Director General, General Directorate of the Prison Administration, Ministry of Justice

·         Bosnia and Herzegovina – Mr Predrag Sofranac, Project manager, CoE Office in Sarajevo

·         Kosovo^* – Mr Sami Gashi, Coordinator for the monitoring of radicalized prisoners in prisons, Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS)

·         Montenegro – Mr Ilias Kalamaras, CLCU project manager

·         North Macedonia – Mr Gjakush Kabashi, Senior Project Officer, CoE Programme Office in Skopje

·         Serbia – Ms Aleksandra Stepanovic, Head of Department for Granting and Protecting the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, Administration for Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice, and Ms Radmila Borozan, Senior Project Officer, CoE Office in Belgrade

Discussion - Question & Answers

12.30–13.30   SESSION 3:   BEST PRACTICES IN PREVENTING RADICALISATION IN PRISONS AND REHABILITATION OF VIOLENT EXTREMIST OFFENDERS

·         Mr Torben Adams, RAN Prison and Probation co-chair

·         Mr Jasmin Music, Head of Department of Security, Administration for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia

Discussion - Question & Answers

13.30-14.45    Lunch

Moderator: Mr Donche Boshkovski, CLCU project manager, Council of Europe

14.45–15.30 SESSION 4:     RAISING AWARENESS, NETWORKING AND TRAINING OF PRISON AND PROBATION STAFF ON DEALING WITH RADICALISATION AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM

·         The EU/CoE HELP project ‘Radicalisation Prevention’ and the HELP course, with focus on the modules for prison and probation staff – Ms Valentina Boz, coordinator of the HELP in the Western Balkans Project, CoE Office in Belgrade ·         Ms Petra Balazic, Junior Political Advisor, Regional Cooperation Council

Discussion – Questions & Answers

15.30-15.45    Coffee Break

15.45–16.30 SESSION 5:     MULTI-SECTORAL AND INTER-INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH – THE ROLE OF THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITIES IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS WHILE THE PERSON IS SERVING HIS/HER SENTENCE IN PRISON

·         Ms Liesbeth van der Haide – Senior research fellow, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague, the Netherlands

·         Ms Marie-Nathalie D'Hoop, Director of the Brussels House of Justice, Belgium

Discussion – Question & Answers

16.30-17.30 SESSION 6:      POST-PENAL ASSISTANCE – THE ROLE OF STATE AGENCIES, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND MENTORS AFTER THE RELEASE FROM PRISON

·         Mr Torben Adams, RAN Prison and Probation co-chair

·         Mr Oomar Mulbucos, Therapist & CVE Interventionist

Discussion – Question & Answers

20.00 Dinner at restaurant “Druga kuca” – hosted by CLCU (address: Kolodvorska 9, Sarajevo)

WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2019

Topic:SUPPORTING THE AUTHORITHIES IN OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGIES OF THE PENITETIARY AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS

Moderator: Ms Raluca Ivan, CLCU project manager, Council of Europe

09.00-10.30 SESSION 7:      BENEFICIARY-SPECIFIC ACTIONS UNDER HORIZONTAL FACILITY II

·         HF II Prisons project in Albania - presentation of the project with focus on supporting the authorities in enhancing the provision of healthcare in prisons – Ms Antuen Skenderi, Senior Project Officer, CoE Office in Tirana

·         HF II Prisons project in Serbia – presentation of the project with focus on the mental healthcare component and supporting the deinstitunalisation process – Ms Silvija Panovic-Djuric, Senior Project Officer, CoE Office in Belgrade

·         HF II Prisons project in Bosnia and Herzegovina – presentation of the project – sharing know-how and building synergies and interconnections with other target groups – Ms Marica Bender, Senior Project Officer, CoE Office in Sarajevo

·         HF II Prisons project in North Macedonia – presentation of the project with focus on oversight over police and prisons – update on the operational functioning of the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia – Mr Petar Jordanoski, CLCU project manager, Council of Europe

·         HF II Prisons project in Montenegro – presentation of the project with focus on strengthening the safeguards against ill-treatment by the police – Ms Tatjana Miranovic, Senior Project Officer, CoE Programme Office in Podgorica

Discussion – Question & Answers

10:30–11:00   Coffee break

Moderator: Mr Vlado Azinovic, University of Sarajevo

11:00-11:45 SESSION 8:      REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS – IDENTIFYING THE BEST APPROACH – INDIVIDUAL INTERVENTION PLANS, GENERAL TREATMENT PROGRAMMES AND SPECIFIC MODULES

·         Ms Martina Baric, Head of Service of Special Treatment Programmes, Directorate for Prison System and Probation, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia, member of the CoE’s Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) Working Group

·         Mr Milan Radovic, Programme Director of the NGO “Civic Alliance”, Montenegro

Discussion – Question & Answers

11:45-12:45 SESSION 9:      THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE, INCLUSIVE AND STRATEGIC APPROACH TOWARDS PENITENTIARY REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT

·         Mr Donche Boshkovski, CLCU project manager, Council of Europe

·         Mr Attila Juhasz, former prison governor from Hungary, vice-chair of the CoE’s Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) Working Group

·         Ms Biljana Zefikj – Head of the Department of Security, treatment and training of prison staff, Directorate for Execution of Sanctions, Ministry of Justice, North Macedonia

Discussion – Question & Answers

12.45-13.15 CLOSING OF THE CONFERENCE – CONCLUSIONS AND WAY FORWARD

·         Ms Tanja Rakusic-Hadzic, CLCU Head, Council of Europe

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·         Mr Vlado Azinovic, University of Sarajevo

13:30 Lunch