EXchange Brandenburg

Exchange Brandenburg is a joint project of Violence Prevention Network and Cultures Interacive, which is carried out in Brandenburg prisons and in the pre-trial detention area. With a growing number of ideologically motivated criminal and violent offenses, an increase in the imprisonment of such offenders is to be expected. A professional attitude and a clear distance to the favored ideologies are indispensable when dealing with all persons who show an affinity for extreme ideologies. Prevention and intervention services as well as further training for prison and probation staff are therefore required.

Prevention, intervention and further training for professionals

The pilot project includes a comprehensive package of measures that can be used to respond to cases of radicalization risk or radicalization in the prison system in a needs-oriented and timely manner.

To this end, EXchange Brandenburg provides measures of

• Prevention (biography workshops/youth-cultural-creative identity workshops for people with an affinity for extremist ideologies),
• cross-phenomenon intervention/deradicalization/disengagement work in group and individual settings and
• further training for specialists and other multipliers in the prison system and probation services.

The biography workshops and identity workshops enable the processing of life history and socio-political topics so that bridges of association can be created between biographical and current political issues. The starting point is always the life of the young offenders, whereby historical data and situations are related to personal experiences. This brings up moods and emotions, including very one-dimensional views of German society or “dark” feelings, which are followed by radicalizing ideas and thinking in simple dichotomies. It is therefore about constructions of identity that are at risk of persisting in radicalized views of reality or “drifting” even further into them. And it is about “getting through” to them using a biographical-narrative process and guiding them towards differentiated thinking or distancing themselves from relevant ideologies. What is important here is that the approach must be individually adaptable. Consequently, there are no simple instructions or intervention models. The decision and knowledge development remains with the participants and actors themselves - not least against the background of their previous knowledge and their formative emotional experiences.

EXchange Brandenburg uses methodological synergies with other projects carried out by Cultures Interactive, in particular with the methods of the narrative-biographically based “We-among-us group” and the “narrative dialog groups” in schools and youth clubs.

Recognizing radicalization processes and designing interventions professionally

EXchange Brandenburg's group and individual training courses are aimed at radicalized prisoners and clients of the probation service who are in the process of radicalization. The methods and content of the intervention and deradicalization process depend on the degree of radicalization.

In addition, further training is provided to enable multipliers to recognize radicalization processes, to find a professional way of dealing with ideologized offenders and, if necessary, to call in external, specifically trained personnel for help.

In order to achieve the main objectives, the following action goals are being pursued

• Implementation of biography workshops/youth cultural identity reflection with at-risk inmates
• Comprehensive case clarification and diagnostics in suspected cases of radicalization (as required)
• Implementation of specific group and individual training with ideologized persons in prison
• Further training courses for specialists and multipliers in the prison and pre-prison sector
• Needs-based advice for prisons on dealing with ideologized prisoners

The following effects should be achieved:

• Through the specific offers and training, ideologized thought patterns of offenders at risk of radicalization/radicalized offenders are questioned, changed or discarded. Empathy and tolerance are strengthened.
• The change in mindset also has an impact on the actions of the target group: Discrimination based on ethnic origin, sexual orientation, understanding of gender roles or religious affiliation as well as violent behavior in the prison system is reduced.
• Prevention/intervention in the radicalization process and the interruption of the violent career significantly improves the target group's life situation: in the short term, this can result in shorter prison sentences, and in the long term, new life prospects and (professional) opportunities by leaving extremist scenes and groups.
• Recidivism rates of the target group are reduced, the reintegration of offenders is promoted and future ideologically motivated criminal and violent acts are avoided.
  In terms of the multipliers, this results in increased confidence in dealing with people at risk of radicalization and radicalized individuals.