Prison de-radicalization strategies, programmes and risk assessment tools in Spain

Abstract

This report offers a detailed analysis of the legal and organizational structures handling radicalization within Spain, explicitly distinguishing between the General State Administration and the autonomous prison administration of Catalonia. It outlines the legal framework governing terrorist offenses, the use of the Closed Regime and the FIES surveillance system for high-risk prisoners, and the geographical dispersal policy. Additionally, it highlights specific prevention protocols and treatment programs designed to monitor and disengage radicalized inmates in both jurisdictions.

Key data / Highlights

Dual prison administration system: Operational strategies are divided between the central State General Administration and the autonomous, decentralized Catalan Prison Administration.
Use of the FIES surveillance system: High-risk terrorist inmates are subjected to strict monitoring under the FIES (Inmates under Special Surveillance) administrative control regime.
Structured prevention and control protocols: Both Spanish and Catalan authorities have established explicit, multi-stage protocols to monitor, group, and counter radicalization in prisons.
Systemic policy of inmate dispersal: Radicalized offenders are geographically dispersed across different facilities to prevent cohesive extremist groups from forming.