Multi-agency Approach of Radicalized Inmates in Belgium

ICPA2023 Presentation by Priscilla Bigalli, Nico Braspenning and Gert Vanherk (ICPA2023-PID108)

Authors

Priscilla Bigalli

Analyst, Belgian Prison Service, Belgium

Priscilla Bigalli is trained as a clinical psychologist and is currently working as an analyst at Cell Extremism at the central administration of Belgian Prison Service. She previously worked as a member of the psychosocial services in prison, performing risk assessments and advising the Court on conditional release. Since 2019 she was been working at Cell Extremism which is mainly an information gathering unit dealing with the topic of radicalization, extremism and terrorism in prison.

Nico Braspenning

Central Psychosocial Service Extremism, Belgian Prison Service, Belgium

Nico Braspenning is a clinical psychologist who works within the Psychosocial Service of the Belgian prison system. This service is responsible for follow-up of prisoners throughout their detention, and for giving advices concerning conditional release and earlier steps in the process of the execution of sentences. Following the implementation of the Action Plan ‘Approach radicalization in prisons’ in 2015, he was appointed as a member of the Central Psychosocial Service Extremism, in which function he is (amongst other things) responsible for the supervision of the advices given by the local psychologist and social workers in all files of radicalized inmates in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium.

Gert Vanherk

Policy coordinator assistance and services, Vlaams Agentschap Justitie en Handhaving, Belgium

Since 16 years I coordinate the work of different organisations in the prison of Hasselt (education, mental health, welfare, work, culture, sport). Next to this, I am responsible for the policy on radicalization in prisons for the responsibilities of the Flemish government.

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