The Council of Europe (CoE) started on 1 November 2018 a 24 months project entitled “Structured sentence management for violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The project is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Federation BiH and Republika Srpska, and their respective partners from the state and the entity law enforcement agencies, social welfare services, as well as with the civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
The project has an overall budget of 800,000 EUR and is financed thanks to the generous contributions of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
An online training session, focusing on the protocols on data/info sharing and multi-agency cooperation related to the management of violent and extremist prisoners (VEP), brought together 35 representatives from the Ministries of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Federation BiH and Republika Srpska, nine penitentiary establishments, as well as representatives of the law-enforcement agencies from across all administrative levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The participants learned about the main elements and resources needed for establishment of the local multi-agency cooperation models, operational protocols and mechanisms for exchange of data on violent extremist prisoners between the prison establishments, law enforcement agencies, social work centres and in addressing violent extremism and radicalisation in prisons. They also improved their understanding of the principles of dynamic security and prison intelligence, which play a significant role in early warning and enabling prison managers to make rightful decisions in management of VEPs, with full respect of the their dignity and fundamental human rights.
The activity took place on 17–18 February 2021 and was organised under the project ”Structured Sentence Management For Violent And Extremist Prisoners” funded by the voluntary contribution of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and the United States Agency for International Development Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and implemented by the Council of Europe.
