Violent extremist offenders (VEOs) is a group of offenders that constitutes a special challenge for correctional services. The demands for security, whilst in prison, ask for special arrangements, but safety and security whilst in probation after release also call for effective interventions to reduce the risk of new crimes motivated by radicalised views and activities. This article is a presentation of a new Swedish effort to include systematic treatment for the transition of VEOs from prison to community.
The Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) has come up with a counter-radicalisation strategy combining security efforts with intensive treatment to improve transition to community for identified VEOs that are at risk for future violent behaviour and associations with persons and environments supporting violent extremism. This include keeping proper order and security, treating prisoners, parolees and probationers with dignity and respect, as well as providing directed services and programmes to lay pathways away from violent extremism where the radicalised person ideally distances him/herself from past radicalised lifestyle and violent acts.
To process VEO’s personal barriers to change and strengthen skills needed to establish a meaningful lifestyle outside extremist environments, we use an offender treatment programme called Entré. The name of the programme is carefully chosen to illustrate that it is not only about leaving an old lifestyle, but primarily about beginning a new way of life, establish new associates and, in some cases, adopt a new identity. Entré is a one-to-one cognitive-behavioural programme developed within the SPPS, originally designed to support clients to leave organised criminal groups or environments.
The client and therapist meet each other in person. An Entré therapist is not supposed to be an expert in the specific ideology or religion and does not challenge or discuss right or wrong in the viewpoints the client hold. Relying on the principle of disengagement, interventions should, from ethical and humane points of views, not focus on changing radicalised views, but the use of violence or other criminal acts and support the person’s own efforts to distance him/herself from radicalised groups and environments. The therapist meets the client within the frame of a professional relationship, where the client is the main expert on his life and his mental world. The role of the therapist is to show how the client’s thoughts and behaviours have resulted in problems and supply the client with alternative perspectives and behaviours that increases his possibilities to lead a constructive life.
Entré is structured around themes that address criminogenic needs of violent offenders. The structure and content of the Entré programme (themes and treatment strategies) are primarily aimed towards history of aggression & violence, interpersonal relations & associates, attitudes and values, and identity & self-image. These areas of criminogenic needs are connected to the degree of exposure for high risk situations, emergence of thoughts supporting violence and disturbing feelings that are difficult to handle as well as the actual performance of violent acts. The work on themes and treatment strategies of the Entré programme are therefore aimed to help support the client to
A distinctive feature of Entré is it’s components of practical problem-solving that aims to overcome real-life barriers and thereby facilitate leaving radicalised environments and associates. The client’s prosocial skills and other personal resources will be the vehicles to find solutions to overcome these barriers.
Treatment always starts with a thorough analysis of the structured risk and needs assessment that have been conducted. Although there are risk and need factors that are common among VEOs, how these factors are expressed varies from person to person. For instance, a VEO that was leading a lonely life and was radicalised mainly by internet activities, like social media will probably have different problems regarding interpersonal relations and associates, compared to a VEO that has been radicalised together with other gang members at the local community. The next step in the assessment is therefore to get a more detailed picture of the idiographic pattern of strengths, barriers and opportunities in and around the client. This information will be the basis for an individual case formulation, a plan for how to transfer to the post-release social environment can be successful.
To support a client in challenging violent attitudes and values and dare to choose another way of living team work. Around the therapist, who is always carefully chosen from competence and personal suitability, there is a multidisciplinary team of supervisors. These have expertise in offender treatment, psychology and psychiatric disorders, security and transfer to community. Their job is to assist the therapist, but also to ensure that necessary decisions regarding the execution of the sentence are taken to ensure that the treatment could be administered efficiently. The supervision group also handles cooperation with other authorities and organisations that are needed for safe and secure transition into community.
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
Interventions Alliance has published a new evaluation of a Hub coordinated on behalf of police forces in the south of England, focused on tackling violence against women and children through a whole family approach. The Hub supports victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and works across policing, health and social services.
New updates from the European Commission highlight key priorities for judicial training in Europe, alongside new tools supporting transparency and access to data.
Today, 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. It is a global reminder, recognised by UNESCO and the wider international community, of the urgent need to prevent violence, support those affected by it, and strengthen collective action. The day also opens the 16 Days of Activism, a worldwide campaign that calls for sustained engagement to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
From 18-20 November 2025, 15th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation took part in Council of Europe, Strasbourg. CEP was represented by President Annie Devos, Vice-Presidents Danijela Mrhar Prelic (PC-CP member) and Daniel Danglades and Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin.
The CEP Expert Group on Mental Health met on 19 November 2025 to continue its work on developing a European mental health training curriculum for probation officers. Since last year, the group has been working intensively and meticulously to produce a solid first version of the curriculum.
CEP has released the first cross-European study examining stress, burnout, and morale among probation staff. The report was produced by Professor Charlie Brooker, Professor Karen Tocque, Professor Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica, whose combined expertise in public health, criminology, and organisational analysis provides an important contribution to our understanding of well-being in probation work.
