DERAD is a European project aimed at preventing the escalation of radicalisation within prison and probation environments, focusing particularly on individuals vulnerable to jihadist recruitment or self-radicalisation. The project seeks to address the social, psychological, and structural factors exploited by radical recruiters, with the broader goal of supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of affected individuals into society.
Key objectives of the project include:
- Promoting social rehabilitation and reintegration;
- Facilitating the transfer of prisoners to their home countries where appropriate;
- Strengthening public-private partnerships in rehabilitation and prevention;
- Supporting mutual recognition of judicial decisions across EU Member States.
To achieve these goals, DERAD implements a large-scale training programme and a robust online infrastructure targeting all professionals involved in the reintegration process: judiciary and judicial staff, law enforcement, prison and probation officers, translators, and social workers.
Led by the Italian Ministry of Justice – Department of Penitentiary Administration (Office for Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige), the project involves eight institutions from six European countries. Academic partners—University of Granada, Czech Technical University in Prague, and the Euro-Arab Foundation—will develop a protocol to align national qualifications systems with a common European Reference Framework in this field.The central output of DERAD is HERMES, a unique, interactive training platform supporting counter-radicalisation efforts across Europe, designed to equip practitioners with effective tools and methodologies.