Summary
· Preventative work with communities must
be a top priority for the Home's Office's de-radicalisation work.
It is urgent that partnerships are developed with mosques and
that they play a key role in Prevent counter-terrorism programmes.
· The Prime Minister's Task Force on Tackling
Radicalisation and Extremism stated that the 'Ibaana' prison counter-radicalisation
programme would be rolled out in full across British prisons by
April 2014. The implementation of this programme across the
country must be clearly outlined to specific deadlines. It
is vital that individuals working with prisoners, particularly
those offering counselling, should undergo specific training to
equip them to combat extremist ideologies.
· It is particularly important that prisoners
who have demonstrated extremist views in prison should receive
support, monitoring and appropriate intervention on their release,
including through the Channel programme. The Channel programme
should be strengthened to provide long-term, effective monitoring
of participants, to ensure proper evaluation of these prevention
programmes.
· Where social media companies are given
evidence that users of their services are seeking to promote violent
extremism, they should be prepared to take action to suspend their
accounts, as they do where there is abuse or harassment of other
users.
· Communication between the police, schools
and parents is in need of vast improvement. The police must engage
in a regular and open dialogue with schools and community groups
to ensure that information is exchanged and new initiatives can
be explored at community level. Schools and the police must inform
parents immediately, and work together when there is even the
smallest hint of radicalisation, or a close association with someone
who is thought to have been radicalised.
· It is essential that the officers working
on the Prevent programme, as in other areas of the police, are
truly reflective and representative of British society.
· There needs to be an advice service
open to all, particularly targeted at parents who wish to seek
advice or express concerns about a particular individual. This
must be well publicised, and be a less extreme step than using
the Anti-Terrorist Hotline. There is a fear of stigmatisation
among communities and such a helpline could go some way in changing
these attitudes. This method should be included in the Prevent
strategy.
· The universality of the internet has
enabled people to be radicalised in their bedrooms unnoticed by
others. Policing social media sites such as Twitter, a means by
which many IS propaganda has been spread for example, is impossible.
Young people need to be equipped with the skills to become critical
consumers of online content, in order to build a more natural
resistance against radicalisation through online extremist content
and propaganda. This is not just about counter-radicalisation:
an informed, critical and questioning approach to online sources
is a valuable asset in all aspects of a young person's social
and intellectual development.
· International efforts to work in unison
to tackle the growing number of young people travelling to these
conflict zones to join extremist groups must be strengthened urgently.
· We are disappointed that the Home Office
has not implemented a programme for individuals returning to Britain
where there is evidence that they have fought in Syria. It is
vital that the Government works with mental health practitioners
and also assesses the Aarhus process to ensure that the UK's programme
best integrates those returning from conflict zones such as Syria.
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