International Corrections and Prisons Association’s Post

📣 Last week, the last PBC #MENA meeting was held in Athens, marking the conclusion of three years of rich discussions, meetings and study visits between #Europe and the MENA region. ✍ Since its inception in 2022, based on #Italy’s initiative and supported by the European Commission, I have had the pleasure to work, under the umbrella of the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Policy Support, on strengthening collaboration and exchanges between EU Member States and MENA countries across diverse thematic priority areas in #PCVE (terrorist content online, FTFs returnees, rehabilitation and reintegration approaches in prisons, etc). While the detailed analysis of all the findings and policy recommendations will be included in the forthcoming Consolidated Overview Paper, three key personal reflections deserve to stand out: 💡 Despite differences in national contexts, specifities and mechanisms (legislative, social, cultural, etc.) – paramount to be taken into account when working in PCVE – EU Member States and MENA countries need to build upon the transfer of good practices and lessons learned – as some core elements have proved fundamental to the design and successful implementation of #PCVE approaches, particularly in relation to those targeting secondary and tertiary interventions. 🤝 Cooperation between the EU and MENA regions is imperative in an ever-evolving #extremist threat landscape, with interlinked developments and common challenges across the two regions, especially at the level of the #repatriation, #rehabilitation and reintegration of #FTFs returnees and their families from the camps in Iraq. 🔁 The inclusion of local governments and actors in the design and implementation of P/CVE approaches is still somehow reluctant (despite differences across national contexts) both in EU MSs and MENA countries. Consolidating trust between state and local authorities for effective PCVE collaboration is crucial to foster a robust and sustainable P/CVE approach. 🔜 Collaboration between EU Member States and MENA countries, although no longer under the PBC format, will proceed under EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, so stay tuned!

with all sincere due respect for the hard working men and women of the National prison service we need to reframe what we mean by services when we acknowledge the prison system. while these men and women work hard and I'm sure as diligently as our other national public emergency and defense services; the prison system itself is not a service and certainly not a public one, nor was it designed to do so. when Jeremy Bentham designed the Panopticon in the 18th century he didn't do so out of a desire to provide a public service. He did so to provide a more cost effective and less resource dependent surveillance system. Given the conditions of overcrowding, underfunding, a lack of meaningful programs and support for reform, education, aftercare and post incarceration hosing which negatively impacts prisoners and staff alike; how we frame how we talk about the prison system itself needs to change. Staff and inmates leave with PTSD and all are in high risk situation from physical environment to emotional distress. It services little but the pockets of government who value incarceration above intervention and social investment.

The following is a short story written by Col. Fletcher Prouty describing true events that occurred in Vietnam during the war that sound like something out of a sci-fi dystopic movie. This is extremely useful for anyone who wishes to understand the techniques that are presently being waged against the American people and the west more broadly. This story serves as an addendum to my paper “How the CIA and US Special Forces Manufactured a Migrant Crisis and Orwellian Police State in Vietnam Before Going to the Americas,” which also discusses in detail the origin of the “smart city” prisons that are being built throughout the world today. These “smart city” concentration camps were first implemented in Vietnam under Lansdale’s “Civic Action” program and were tasked to the US Special Forces/Green Berets (to which Lansdale had revived and reformed for these very purposes) under the Phoenix Program in Vietnam, and later in central and south America under Operation Condor. https://lnkd.in/e4hCTwFJ

Hamas officials to discuss details of hostage deal with Egyptian intelligence chief Earlier, Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh said that the movement "has received the proposal developed during the discussions in Paris and is currently studying it" A delegation of representatives of the political bureau of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas will discuss with Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel the details of the alleged hostage deal worked out in Paris, the Qatari TV channel Al Arabiya reported, citing an Egyptian source. According to the channel, the talks scheduled for Wednesday in Cairo will focus on the duration of the ceasefire in the first phase of the deal, as well as the number of Hamas militants to be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of hostages held by the radicals in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh said that the movement "has received the proposal developed during the discussions in Paris and is currently studying it." At the same time, Haniyeh pointed out that the priority for Hamas in formulating a response to the Paris agreement remains "an immediate cessation of aggression" and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. According to him, the movement is ready to consider only those initiatives that can ensure the fulfillment of these conditions. CNN reported earlier, citing a source, that talks in Paris involving Egypt, Israel, Qatar and the United States had produced a preliminary proposal for the release of the hostages. The first stage calls for a six-week pause in hostilities. During this period, each Hamas-held civilian would be exchanged for three Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. This ratio could be increased for the exchange of Israeli soldiers. The six-week truce could be followed by a longer pause, the TV channel said. #business #finance #financialservices

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 It was great having the opportunity to share IPS_Innovative Prison Systems' know-how and experience in dissecting how to enhance prison, probation, and community professionals' skills in assessing risks and vulnerabilities to radicalisation, at the International Corrections and Prisons Association 22nd Annual Conference in Singapore from 1-6 September. In a paper co-authored by my colleagues Vânia Sampaio, Sara Afonso, and Margarida Damas, interesting questions were raised from a packed room (and follow-up discussions) on how concrete results and materials from MIRAD and R2COM projects can be adapted to other jurisdictions, besides the key aspect to involve communities and a multitude of non-security actors as a critical standard to ensure desistance (and social stabilisation). All-in-all, over 800 participants from 80+ countries (including correctional leaders, professionals, researchers, and public, private, and non-profit sector members) gathered in Singapore throughout the whole week, in an event excellently organised by the Singapore Prison Service. (by choice or lack of time, I have not shared for quite a while what I was up to here on LinkedIn - will try to keep my profile as updated as possible for the foreseeable future) #radicalisation #extremism #terrorism #prisons #prevention

Netanyahu: Israel Won’t Accept ‘Insane Demands,’ Victory ‘Within Reach’ - Israel will not agree to the “insane demands” Hamas is making to release the 136 remaining hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address on Wednesday night. Bowing to the terrorist organization’s demands will lead to another massacre that no Israeli citizen will accept, he emphasized, speaking from his office in Jerusalem. “We are on our way to absolute victory,” he declared. “Victory is now within reach. It’s not a matter of years or decades, but a matter of months. “The IDF is working miracles and working methodically to achieve all the goals that we set,” said Netanyahu. Hamas has given an official response to a hostages-for-ceasefire framework proposed by mediators, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced at a press conference in Doha on Tuesday. “I would like to inform the media that we have received a reply from Hamas with regards to the general framework of the agreement with regard to hostages,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “We are optimistic, and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.” On Wednesday, Hamas presented a new counteroffer in response to Israeli objections to its demands for a permanent ceasefire and the release of many Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons. The War Cabinet, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza, is expected to meet on Thursday to discuss the ongoing negotiations. Hamas’s latest proposal consists of a three-stage process spanning four and a half months. In the first phase, the terror group would release all of the remaining female hostages, as well as all those under the age of 19, the elderly and the sick. In exchange, Israel would release women and minor security prisoners. The second stage would see the release of the remaining living male hostages, with bodies being released in the third stage, at the end of which an agreement would be reached to end the war. Negotiations towards ending the war would start in the first phase, according to Hamas’s proposal. ‘Position will lead to the continuation of war’ In the draft text, the terror group expresses “hope” for the release of 1,500 terrorists, a third of them “heavy” prisoners with life sentences. The terrorist group is also demanding a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the start of the Strip’s rehabilitation and an increase in aid.

*⚠️ BREAKING - Hamas Ceasefire Proposal Released:* Hamas has proposed a four-and-a-half-month ceasefire in Gaza, during which all hostages would be freed, Israel would pull out its troops from the Gaza Strip, and negotiations for a permanent end to the conflict would take place. The first phase, lasting 45 days, would involve the release of Israeli women hostages, males under 19, and the elderly and sick, in exchange for Arab women and children held in Israeli prisons. Israel would also withdraw its troops from populated areas. The second phase would commence only after both sides engage in indirect talks to determine the conditions for ending military actions and restoring complete calm. This phase would entail the release of remaining male hostages and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The third phase would focus on the exchange of bodies and remains.

Following the publication of the recent UK violence against women and girls (VAWG) National Policing Statement, ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director of the VAWG Taskforce, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about re-shaping the service to victims, the need for greater collaboration and a whole system approach, and the importance of supporting front-line staff investigating often high-harm offences. ❝Policing recognises the role it plays in tackling VAWG. We need all partners to work together to tackle violence and abuse towards women and girls, and these will be different challenges in different agencies. It has to be a whole system approach.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce ❝This won’t be dealt with by policing alone. It has to start in school and be a part of discussions about healthy relationships – we’re all in agreement of that. But it’s also about simplifying the landscape in policing.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce ❝Children are not being given the right concepts of harm – education can play a vital role in fostering children and young people’s understanding of healthy relationships and prevent harmful behaviour from developing.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce ❝We have to become better and more effective in how our policing processes tackle VAWG, from the moment we interact with a victim. There are many solutions available to victims and these need to be clearly set out and offered.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce ❝We have worked hard to improve the public’s trust and confidence in policing and have brought our response in line with the 4Ps model used in counter-terrorism to reflect how seriously policing takes VAWG.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce ❝Support can’t be down to chance, it has to be systemic. If we look after our staff, we put them in the best possible position to look after victims.❞ - ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director, VAWG Taskforce [SUBSCRIBER ARTICLE] https://lnkd.in/eDzZK_kd #lawenforcement #policing #police #violenceagainstwomen #victims

There is a major recruiting crisis in the Australian Defence Force, with concerns about potential infiltration of foreign recruits. An interesting perspective emerges from the 42,000 individuals currently in Australian prisons. Among them, about 37,000 men and 5,000 women could potentially enlist in the ADF by commuting their sentences. This interesting perspective and unique recruitment pool does though raises questions about suitability, rehabilitation, and ethical concerns. While many wouldn’t make the “grade”, others clearly could. Enlisting prisoners would need careful assessment and may not align with the ADF's requirements. Public perception, trust, and societal impacts are also critical factors to consider. While the prison population presents a potential recruitment pool, a more holistic approach focusing on improving recruitment strategies, retention, and addressing underlying issues is advisable. Any proposals should be evaluated to balance operational needs, offender rehabilitation, and public trust in the military. Your thoughts? #Australia #DefenceForce #RecruitmentCrisis #NationalSecurity #DirtyDozen Justice Reform Initiative Jacqui Lambie Andrew Hastie MP