Publications

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This BICC Working Paper examines the challenges and needs associated with preventing radicalisation in prisons in North Rhine-Westphalia. The results are based on interviews conducted by the project team at BICC in 2021 with actors working in prevention in and outside of the justice system in North Rhine-Westphalia. The BICC Working Paper differentiates between three areas of prevention work: First, direct and indirect measures that prevent radicalisation processes from occurring in prisons in the first place or aim to prevent them at a very early stage (for instance religious counselling for prisoners, political education). Second, dealing with already radicalised prisoners in custody, especially the work of state-run and civil society exit programmes in prisons. Third, the importance of prevention in the work of probation officers, that is, after release from prison. Compared to other areas, programmes associated with preventing radicalisation in the justice system have so far neglected this aspect. Finally, an important finding is that the perception of problems in prisons has recently diversified. Whereas the focus was originally on Islamist movements, actors who work in prevention are increasingly also tackling right-wing extremist tendencies.