On 17 August, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) delivered two basic training sessions for 47 female cadets from the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety on prevention of the radicalization process among offenders.

Upon completing their programmes at the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety, these cadets will join the Kosovo Correctional Service, and this specific training, which was delivered by EULEX’s Correctional Monitors Albert Gegaj and Petri Ravander, will help them take preventative measures to timely identify and report early sings of radicalization and extremism, as well as to identify potential risks through a dynamic security approach.

These training sessions were a part of a long-standing commitment of the Mission to increasing the capacity of Kosovo correctional and probation officers to detect on time the signs of radicalization in prisoners serving their sentence or after release, thanks to a deeper understanding of extremist environments and of the radicalization process.

The two trainers, EULEX’s Correctional Monitors Albert Gegaj and Petri Ravander, highlighted in their presentations how a timely and correct treatment of individuals vulnerable to radicalization or radicalized persons can prevent and deter them from being radicalized, adding how, in this regard, a proper understanding of the complex phenomenon of violent extremism and radicalization is essential to help detect and avert threats of terrorism and, eventually, protect the society from potential terrorist crimes and harmful events.

Participants confirmed that this was a necessary learning opportunity, as they might have to face such a complex phenomenon while working in correctional centers. In particular, Cadet Correctional Officer Rinesa Fazliu said: “The training delivered today will help us become more professional in our work and in identifying possible cases of radicalization in prisons. It will also help us better support the re-socialization and re-education process of the offenders who have completed their sentence.”

In the upcoming months, the EULEX’s Correctional Unit plans to extend this basic training to all Kosovo Correctional Service’s (KCS) facilities within the framework of its wider support to KCS’s management through monitoring, mentoring and advising.