UNODC is working in partnership with the British Embassy in Tunisia to support national counterparts in the implementation of project Tawassol. This project aims to enhance the prison-based rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners and prevent radicalization to violence in prisons.
The Ministry of Justice and the General Committee of Prisons and Rehabilitation in Tunisia are taking concrete steps to address radicalization to violence and violent extremism in prison settings. Here, we bring together the progress made to date, as well as essential UNODC guidance tools which support continuous improvement in preventing violent extremism in prisons.
UNODC expresses its gratitude to the Ministry of Justice and the General Committee of Prisons and Rehabilitation in Tunisia for the long-term partnership and appreciates the British Embassy in Tunisia's generous support of the national project Tawassol.
No single model of disengagement is universally applicable. To be effective, rehabilitation programmes for violent extremist prisoners must be highly tailored to the country and culture involved, the individual prisoners participating and the environment into which the former violent extremist prisoners are ultimately released.
Prison administrations should ensure the secure and safe custody of violent extremist prisoners; prevent radicalization to violence within prisons; seek to ensure that prisoners disengage from future violence; and prepare those being released for reintegration into the community. The foundations for this are laid through good and rights-respecting prison management. Experience in many countries shows that standalone interventions for violent extremist prisoners implemented in isolation of the broader prison context will not produce positive results.
The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, represent an essential tool to prevent and counter violent extremism in prisons. A prison system managed in compliance with the Nelson Mandela Rules offers powerful barriers against violent extremism taking root in prisons and provides a strong foundation for effective interventions.
Despite the significant rise in the rate of women’s imprisonment in many countries worldwide, women are impacted by prison systems that are designed for men, who comprise the majority of the prison population. The fact that prisons are built for men is evident in their design, security procedures, healthcare facilities, training and rehabilitation opportunities, and the arrangements for family contact. The key challenges range from discriminatory criminal laws and procedures and a lack of gender diversity among prison officers, to gender bias, stereotyping, stigma and impunity.
To effectively address gender-based discrimination against women in prisons – including those convicted of violent extremist offences – a comprehensive set of targeted interventions are needed, in line with the Bangkok Rules and related international standards and norms.
