The Talking Cure? Communication and Psychological Impact in Prison De-radicalisation Programmes

In the ten years following the September 11^th attacks, it has become clear that although military force and the disruption of terrorist activity are key components of combating terrorism, they are not sufficient to fully mitigate the threat of violent extremism. It is not enough to simply remove active terrorists from operation. It is also vital to stem the flow of new and recidivist offenders from engaging in terrorism. To do so, the beliefs and attitudes that drive violent behavior must be addressed; otherwise, there is a risk for violent extremists to return to the battlefield again and again.