Roundtable Expert Meeting & Conference on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Violent Extremist Offenders

With the growing recognition that al Qaeda and other likeminded groups cannot be defeated through military means alone, governments have been increasingly focused on developing more effective strategies to reduce the appeal of al Qaeda and limit its pool of potential recruits. By better understanding the radicalisation process and why people become terrorists it is possible to formulate the steps to take to counter dangerous violent extremist ideologies. As part of the effort to counter violent extremism, there is an increasing focus on prisons, for several reasons. First, left unchecked, prisons provide a ‘safe haven’ where terrorists network compare and exchange tactics, recruit and radicalise new members, and even direct deadly operations outside the prison. Denying incarcerated terrorists the opportunity to influence non-terrorist inmates is especially important. Second, most imprisoned or detained extremists will eventually be released. In order to reduce the likelihood that these individuals will return to terrorism after release, it is essential to find ways to help them disengage from violent activities. Finally, while prisons have at times been environments where radicalism has festered, the prison setting can also present opportunities for positive change – serving as a place where the tide of violent radicalism can be reversed. Prisoners live in a controlled environment, where they can be denied the negative influences from their past which pushed them toward terrorism. They can instead be surrounded by