Detainee Assessment and Deradicalization Trainings for Probation Staff in the United States
On March 2, 2016 District Judge Michael Davis of the Federal Court in Minneapolis ordered the risk and deradicalization assessment for four detainees who wanted to travel to Syria and join the “Islamic State”. For this assessment Judge Davis requested the services of GIRDS Director Daniel Koehler, who is one of the world’s most recognized experts in this field. In addition to the assessment Judge Davis asked Mr. Koehler to provide unique training for probation officers in order to design a new deradicalization program in Minnesota, which has seen the highest number of foreign fighter related cases in the United States.
This approach is the first time in the history of the United States and will introduce a complete new strategy in dealing with home-grown radicalization with the assistance of GIRDS. Our experts will be deeply involved in designing and implementing the program, as German expertise on the field of deradicalization has been made internationally recognized by the work of GIRDS and other organizations.
The training provided to probation staff will lay the foundations for a completely new deradicalization program developed by GIRDS in the United States. We are already negotiating to spread this program to additional jurisdictions.
Our project has already been covered widely by the international press: