Mondays

1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST

Zoom

1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13

Four Sessions

The Think Like A Terrorist To Combat Terrorism and Radicalization In Prison seminar will discuss the unique and challenging differences between criminal offenders and terrorist/extremist offenders in a correctional environment on a domestic and international level.

This seminar will delve into operational issues, such as deterring terrorists/extremists from recruiting new members from the general offender population, radicalization within the facility, deradicalization opportunities and challenges, the importance of housing assignments, the need for specialized staff training, hardening/securing of the physical facilities, and the importance of first line supervision in successfully managing the terrorist/extremist offenders.

Many of the terrorist/extremist offender population’s behavior has been inspired by religious beliefs, political beliefs and hatred of specific groups. During this seminar, the instructors will present a captured al-Qaeda training manual that details how its members should act if incarcerated, while being transported to/from court, and in the courtroom.

At the end of this seminar, the participants will have a more comprehensive appreciation of the dangers, challenges, and training issues differentiating traditional criminal behavior and that of terrorist/extremist offenders.

The lessons have been developed from the Sturgeon and Spina’s new book Think Like A Terrorist To Combat Terrorism and Radicalization In Prison.

William “Bill” Sturgeon has over 50 years of experience in the criminal justice field. An author, teacher/trainer, practitioner, expert witness, and internationally recognized criminal justice consultant, he has received numerous awards and commendations for his work. He has held supervisory and managerial positions in both law enforcement and corrections. Mr. Sturgeon has been a technical resource provider for the United States Department of Justice for over 25 years in the areas of management, operations, training, security, and supervision for the National Institute of Corrections. Mr. Sturgeon has an extensive background in special operations training and management. He has developed and taught “specialized” courses and curricula that assist agencies in “expanding” their emergency plans to deal with the potential of terrorist attacks. Mr. Sturgeon has been certified as an expert witness in the Federal Court System and State Courts. Additionally, he has submitted reports on terrorism that have been entered in the Congressional record. Mr. Sturgeon has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts Degrees in Criminal Justice Administration. He received his training in Managing Complex Medical Emergencies, Health and Human Rights, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Francesca Spina, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Springfield College. Dr. Spina is also an adjunct faculty member in the Division of Online and Continuing Education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She earned a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a B.A. in Economics from Trinity College. Dr. Spina’s research interests include criminal justice policy reform, corrections, race and justice, and gender and crime. She has published and presented extensively on these topics.

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