BSAFE_Lab

📢 𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐍𝟐𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐰, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨, 𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝐬𝐭, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

The IN2PREV project brings together law enforcement, NGOs, academia, public authorities, and civil society to promote refugee inclusion and prevent radicalisation.

➡️ Whether this is a challenge that impacts your work, or you would like to learn more about this topic, join this in-person event bringing together experts and practitioners from across Europe.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭:
✔️ Refugee integration and public policy coordination to support integration.
✔️ Ethical and human rights considerations in refugee reception.
✔️ Panel discussions on hate crime, radicalisation prevention, and professional practice in refugee integration.
✔️ IN2PREV’s project outcomes in vulnerability risk assessment, mentoring for inclusion, cooperation, and training.
✔️ Roundtable on applying IN2PREV results to current challenges.

See the full agenda attached!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
📍 Location: Faculty of Law, University of Porto
🗓 Date: October 1, 2025
🌐 Language: English
🎟️ Participation: On-site only, limited seats.

👉 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨: https://loom.ly/nYDdeos

🔗 Learn more about the IN2PREV partnership at www.in2prev.eu

👉 🧰 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐆𝐎 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞-𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

🌐 The 1st Capacity Building Training Seminar, organised by the IPS-partnered IN2PREV initiative, gathered law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from nine European countries to address a critical topic: Facilitating Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Integration through Mentoring.

📸 🇵🇹 The Portuguese committee included the project partners IPS_Innovative Prison Systems and the BSAFE Lab from the University of Beira Interior, as well as 5 national practitioners from LEAs and NGOs. We want to thank them for their active participation and the valuable sharing of experiences.

This capacity-building event is part of the project's larger effort to facilitate refugees and asylum seekers’ integration and prevent their radicalisation through the early identification of vulnerability factors, namely by improving the training of professionals.

➡️ More events and initiatives are coming as part of IN2PREV. Stay tuned!

➡️ Find out more about the IN2PREV initiative: https://loom.ly/0KkucHI

🌟𝗔𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗕𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗕 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀.

May this holiday season bring you renewed energy and inspiration for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in 2025. 🎉

Warm regards,
The BSAFE LAB Team

“(…) Considering prison administration as critical entities and prisons as critical infrastructures also aligns with the broader EU goal of harmonising security standards across member states. The disparity in the security protocols and conditions of detention facilities across Europe is marked. Recognising these facilities as critical infrastructure will necessitate a baseline of resilience that all member states must achieve, thereby elevating security throughout the EU. Investing in the resilience of prison systems is cost-effective. Enhanced security technologies, more effective training for prison staff, better prison intelligence, and the use of evidence-based rehabilitation and desistance approaches, reduces the likelihood of incidents that require expensive emergency responses.

Considering prisons administrations as critical entities and the strategic inclusion of prisons in Europe’s list of critical infrastructures is not merely an administrative adjustment. It is a necessary evolution in our approach to national and continental security. As we witness the complex interplay of organised crime, radicalisation, extremism, and terrorism in the 21st century, our resilience strategies must adapt. By strengthening these institutions against the manifold threats they face, we not only enhance their capacity to function effectively but also safeguard society at large from the cascading effects of their potential failure.

Where does your prison service stand in the overall discussion on the definition of critical entities and critical infrastructures?

The time to act is now, ensuring that resilience in the face of evolving threats remains robust and responsive to the needs of a secure, stable Europe.”

Read my article at the JUSTICE TRENDS Magazine on this topic and let me know your views on it.

The Strategic Consideration of Prison Administrations as Critical Entities and Prisons as Critical Infrastructures: A Necessary Shift in the European Security Policy Highlighting the necessity of including prisons in the EU’s list of critical infrastructures.

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 for 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐂𝐏𝐀 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 2024 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞?

This year's conference, hosted by the Singapore Prison Service and organized by the International Corrections and Prisons Association, is a must-attend event for anyone involved in corrections and the justice system.

I am looking forward to explore and discuss new ideas and innovations around the conference crucial topic of "𝐄𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐦".

The conference promises to be an exciting, informative, and enriching event that brings together fellow professionals to collectively work towards improving the quality of corrections.

I am looking forward to attending and hope to see you there!

For further information, visit www.icpa.org

✨ On behalf of the BSAFE Lab team, we wish you a joyful Holiday Season!

☃️ This holiday season, we celebrate not just the festivities but the collective pursuit of groundbreaking research and innovative technology in the realms of law enforcement, justice, and public safety.

As we approach the dawn of a new year, let's continue our journey of exploration and discovery, transcending boundaries to create a future where justice is enhanced through interdisciplinary excellence. 🌟🌐

❄️ 🕯️ Cheers to a season of joy, a year of profound progress, and a future filled with limitless possibilities!

➡️ 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗥 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹.

📍This week, the VISION initiative hosted a Seminar in Lisbon to showcase its accomplishments in enhancing inmates’ motivation to get involved and complete educational and training initiatives.

🥽 Attendees had the chance to explore the VR resources built to induct inmates in VET courses, and an innovative Web App, tailored to support professionals working in Prison Services and/or in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. The goal of this tool is to assess inmates’ motivation and help devise effective strategies for their enrolment in suitable training opportunities.

The event, hosted by Citeforma - Professional Training Centre was presented in cooperation with the remaining Portuguese partners (BSAFE Lab of the University of Beira Interior, IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, and CPJ – Vocational Training Centre for the Justice Sector).

The full project consortium includes other European partners, namely the Centre for Reintegration Initiatives (CIRE) (Spain), the Religious Institute of Training and Professional Education (IRFIP) (Italy), Athens Lifelong Learning Institute (ALLI) (Greece), Iasi prison (Romania) and GRETA du Velay (Velay Region Educational Institutions Group) (France).

➕ Learn more about the project VISION - Visualising the Future Through Training:
https://loom.ly/wUNbS6s

📢 Exciting update on the VISION project! We are making great strides towards our goal of increasing inmate employability through VR-enhanced Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes.

📸 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝟰-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮̃, 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳. The event was an incredible experience that counted with more than 20 participants from different backgrounds, including trainees and partners from France, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Greece, and Italy.

💡The training centred around introducing the innovative 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁. These scenarios have been designed to inspire and motivate inmates to actively participate in vocational/educational programmes. We focused on key areas such as commercial cooking, bakery and pastry, catering clerk & operator, and health and safety. The participants enthusiastically engaged in practical sessions within the cooking scenario and provided invaluable feedback that will guide our ongoing improvement efforts.

🔧💻 One of the highlights was the testing of a 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀’ 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. We successfully tested the tool in multiple languages, igniting a stimulating discussion among participants.

During the week, participants also had the opportunity to visit Covilhã’s prison facility (getting to know more about their educational and training programmes) and São Miguel Farm, where inmates can work and acquire valuable agricultural skills during their sentences.

ℹ️ The VISION project is led by BSAFE_Lab -University of Beira Interior (Portugal). Dedicated project partners include IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (Portugal), the Vocational Training Centre for the Justice Sector (CPJ - Centro Protocolar da Justiça) (Portugal), the Centre for Reintegration Initiatives (CIRE) (Spain), the Religious Institute of Training and Professional Education (I.R.F.I.P) (Italy), Athens Lifelong Learning Institute (ALLI) (Greece), Iasi prison (Romania) and Greta du Velay (Velay Region Educational Institutions Group) (France).

Together, we are driving positive change in inmate employability. Stay tuned for more updates on our exciting journey!
www.prisonsystems.eu/projects/vision/

👮 Are Høidal (Senior Advisor for the Norwegian Correctional Service) shares insights on how important the job of a prison officer is in Norway!

👥 Are Høidal has been working in the prison sector for decades and was Halden prison’s governor for nearly 14 years. It is therefore vital to take as many reflections as we can from a key expert who ran what is considered to be one of the most humane prisons in the world!

👉 Check out this short interview within the PO21 project - European Prison Officers for the 21st Century.

Visit prison-officers21.org to check out a wealth of information and resources: from expert interviews to panel sessions from PO21’s Final Conference, as well as its products and results!

ℹ️ The PO21 project is coordinated by the BSAFE_Lab of UBI University (Portugal) in partnership with IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (Portugal), the Bremen Senate of Justice and Constitution (Germany), the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP, Portugal), the Federal Public Service Justice (Belgium), the National Union of Prison Workers (SNPP, Romania), the National Union of the Prison Guard Corps (SNCGP, Portugal), and the Stichting Foundation ICPA Office in Europe (The Netherlands).

PO21 Expert Interviews - Are Høidal, Senior Advisor for the Norwegian Correctional Service Are Høidal, who has worked in the Norwegian Correctional Services for 37 years, including long standing positions as the governor of the Oslo and Halden pris...