Prisons across Europe and beyond have become hotbeds for jihadist radicalisation and recruitment of terrorists. While the challenge of radicalisation in prisons is not new, it constitutes a growing threat in the context of jihadist terrorism. It requires dealing with a wide range of offenders, from highly motivated terrorists convicted of extremely serious offences, to inmates who are vulnerable or susceptible to extremist ideology. Prison officers are frequently too overwhelmed to deal with the problem, lacking the skills and training, while de-radicalisation programmes have had mixed results. At this Policy Dialogue, organised in partnership with the European Foundation for Democracy (EFD), a group of experts discussed current policies, best practices and the major challenges faced by governments across Europe in curbing radicalisation in prisons.

Speakers included: Ian Acheson, Programme Director, Sampson Hall Ltd, former prison governor and head of the 2016 UK government review into Islamic extremism in prisons, Luc Van der Taelen, Police Commissioner, Belgium Federal Police Project Manager, Community Policing and the Prevention of Radicalisation (CoPPRa), Selim Cherkaoui, CVE Prison Programme Manager, L'Autre Lieu