Evaluation des Programmbereichs "Extremismusprävention in Strafvollzug und Bewährungshilfe"
Since 2017, the German federal programme “Live Democracy!” has been funding projects to test new approaches to preventing extremism and deradicalisation in prisons and probation services across Germany. This is being continued in the new funding period from 2025 to 2032. The projects provide a large variety of services for offenders in prison and on probation: They aim at preventing radicalisation processes, strengthening democratic attitudes and supporting dissociation and disengagement. They also help to train prison and probation officers in dealing with conflicts, extremism and radicalisation and to counteract discrimination in the prison system.
The target groups of the projects include:
- Young people and young adults in the prison system and probation service
- Professionals in the prison system, probation service and youth welfare
- Parents, family members and other caregivers
- State and civil society actors
The programme area “Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalisation in Prisons and Probation Services” has been evaluated and monitored by the German Youth Institute since 2017. We examine the way the projects work as well as their objectives and effects. The findings are used to support and stimulate the further development of the projects and their educational services. To this end, we analyse the different educational strategies of the projects, bundle overarching educational learning experiences and examine how different target groups accept and adopt individual measures. We generate results and recommendations for professional practice and policy makers.
In line with formative evaluation, we are in close contact with the projects. We communicate empirically supported observations, provide professional assessments and exchange ideas on possible developments.
We reflect the projects’ experiences in the context of academic debates and specialist discourse – such as debates on extremism or pedagogical action in the prison system.
We use a wide range of data collection methods. In particular, we conduct narrative interviews, group discussions and participatory observations. This corresponds to the experimental nature of the projects and is oriented towards the processual character of educational work, its development and its effects. We then analyse the data using qualitative, in particular reconstructive methods. In addition, we implement indicator-based surveys and analyses of target achievement.
We publish our results in interim reports for policy makers and the wider public as well as in academic articles in specialised journals.
Reports, handouts and articles from the previous funding period can be found here.
Publications
Diegmann, Daniel/Frank, Anja/Herding, Maruta/Jakob, Maria (in preparation): „Ja ok, ich mach das.“ Zur ko-konstruktiven Herstellung von Freiwilligkeit bei pädagogischen Projekten im Strafvollzug. In: Fickler-Stang, U./Knop, J./Langer, J. (eds.): Erziehungsgedanken, Bildungsmöglichkeiten und Professionalisierung in Einrichtungen des (Jugend-)Strafvollzugs. Empirische Pädagogik – Zeitschrift zu Theorie und Praxis erziehungswissenschaftlicher Forschung.
Jakob, Maria/Frank, Anja/Herding, Maruta/Diegmann, Daniel/Schwarzloos, Christian: Die „Schlüsselfrage“ als Zugang zur pädagogischen Situation im Gefängnis. Zum Potenzial von Sequenzanalyse innerhalb der Situationsanalyse. In: Schwertel, T./Baumgartner, R./Offenberger, U.: Situationsanalyse: Zu Aktualität und Verwendungsweisen eines Forschungsprogramms. ZQF – Zeitschrift für Qualitative Forschung, 01-2025. P. 38–56
Frank, Anja/Schwarzloos, Christian/Herding, Maruta/Jakob, Maria/Diegmann, Daniel (forthcoming): Extremismusprävention in Haft aus Sicht der Adressierten. In: Rießen, Anne van/Bhatti, Carina/Gille, Christoph/Jepkens, Katja (eds.): Perspektiven in Bewegung. Entwicklungen von Nutzen und Nutzung Sozialer Arbeit im Kontext subjektorientierter Forschung. Springer VS
