UN: Management of violent extremist prisoners and the prevention of radicalization to violence in prison

The management of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) poses major challenges to many Member States for a number of reasons. First, the scale of the issue is often unknown or, at best, only roughly estimated. Second, VEPs do not represent a homogenous category of prisoners, and tailored efforts need to be put in place to address specific needs. Third, for the management of VEPs to be effective, many factors need to be taken into consideration, and adequate resources are required.

This Analytical Brief begins with an overview of data on and trends in VEPs. It then provides an analysis of the main challenges that have been noted regarding the management of VEPs across States, and it identifies key elements that could be of help to States in strengthening overall efforts in the field of terrorism prevention and management of terrorist offenders.

CTED Analytical Briefs are intended to provide the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, United Nations agencies,  policymakers and other relevant actors with a concise analysis of specific issues, trends, and developments, as identified through CTED’s engagement with Member States on their implementation of the relevant Council resolutions. They also include relevant data gathered by CTED through its engagement with United Nations partners; international, regional, and subregional organizations; civil society organizations; and members of the CTED Global Research Network (GRN).

Read and download the Analytical Brief