About the program
The Proactive Integrated Support Model (PRISM) is a disengagement intervention delivered by Corrective Services NSW aimed at prison inmates who have a conviction for terrorism or have been identified as at risk of radicalisation.
It is a voluntary support service that uses tailored intervention plans to address the psychological, social, theological and ideological needs of radicalised offenders to redirect them away from extremism and help them transition out of custody. Its primary focus is on prison inmates, but it does reach into the community supervision context when offenders are released on parole.
The program has been operating since 2016 and targets individuals across the ideological spectrum.
Key takeaways
An evaluation of PRISM found:
- A lot of effort required to gain enough trust of offenders so that they take part.
- The motivations to take part in PRISM offer the opportunity for offenders to:
- start change
- actively show that they do not present an ongoing risk of radicalising to violent extremism.
- Practices aimed at promoting disengagement should foster alternative viewpoints and solutions.
- Engagement in the community corrections context has potential benefits.
- There needs to be a clear separation between PRISM services and law enforcement agencies.
- High security custodial environments and lack of access to family can limit the effectiveness of PRISM.
Relevant reports
- Evaluating interventions to disengage extremist offenders: A study of the proactive integrated support model (PRISM), Adrian Cherney, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, DOI, 2018.
- Assessing intervention outcomes targeting radicalised offenders: Testing the pro integration model of extremist disengagement as an evaluation tool, Adrian Cherney and Emma Belton, DOI, 2019.