Much of the current discourse about prisons and radicalisation is negative. Prisons are often said to have become breeding grounds for radicalisation. They are ‘places of vulnerability’, providing conditions in which radical, religiously framed ideologies can flourish. But prisons are not just a threat – they can play a positive role in tackling problems of radicalisation and terrorism in society as a whole.
To develop effective policies and approaches, understanding of the mechanism of radicalisation is essential. To obtain information on the likelihood of violent extremist action in prison and how to try to intervene case-by-case the Vera instrument was developed by D. Elaine Pressman in 2009. This first edition was revised in 2012 (Pressman and Flockton), after empirical use and feedback from international experts. The most recent version, the VERA 2R (Pressman, Duits, Rinne and Flockton 2016) is supplemented with additional mental health related indicators as well as risk promoting and risk mitigating indicators.
The VERA 2 is the most comprehensive version and includes an assessment of risk and threat elements of the broad spectrum of violent extremists. The tool is relevant for right-wing, left-wing, political separatists, ISIS, Al-Qaeda inspired and other political, social or religious ideological -based violent extremists, those in the process of radicalization to violence and those vulnerable to becoming radicalized.
Elaine Pressman, Ph.D and Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter Terrorism in The Hague: “Systematic and consistent risk assessments provide individualized information on needs, motivations and Ideology required to develop customized interventions. Measurable changes in the risk assessments are able to determine the outcome of these interventions. Targeted intervention is likely to achieve the greatest gains”.
For more information, visit the website of ICCT.
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.
