Introduction
From a Saudi Arabian perspective, terror is a divisive subject since it entails political, social, economic, and religious tones. The good news is that the leaders in this country acknowledge that terrorism is wrong and capable of affecting the experiences and outcomes of countries and civilians. A multifaceted approach has gained recognition in the recent past since it has the potential to address this problem. The completion of the proposed study topic, “Assessing the Practicability and Effectiveness of Long-Term Rehabilitation Interventions in Reducing the Risk of Recidivism among Released Former Terrorists in Saudi Arabia”, will determine whether the programs put in place to rehabilitate terrorists are effective and worth supporting in an effort to advance the measures put in place to address this vice.
Background
Terrorism is a malpractice that claims lives, destroys critical infrastructure systems, and disorients communities. The Saudi Arabian government has been focusing on superior strategies to address the vice by dismantling existing networks, identifying culprits, and bringing justice to victims. This model has worked positively to a certain degree, thereby delivering recognizable results to different countries. However, some experts have been keen to examine the nature of the efforts put in place to deal with terrorism and how they fail to delver maximum results. For instance, Boucek (2008) believes that the current efforts do not prevent innocent or vulnerable young individuals from being radicalized. Consequently, the number of new recruits and enrolments for terror organizations has continued to increase.
Similarly, the developed mechanisms only allow governments to identify and punish offenders while supporting victims. Unfortunately, Crelinsten (2010) observed that such a model was not focusing on the best efforts to rehabilitate those who had engaged in different forms of terror activities. This knowledge would trigger a paradigm shift in the manner in which several regions and countries treated the burning issue of terrorism. Within the past two decades, many countries in Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Europe have launched de-radicalization initiatives and intervention programs to support the delivery of timely results. In some jurisdictions, the question has remained whether such initiatives should be targeting the best strategies to de-radicalize or disengage (National Security Research Division, 2010). The end result is that many governments have remained supportive of such programs in an effort to address the challenges of terrorism and discourage more individuals from continuing with the vice.
Following the trends recorded in different parts of Saudi Arabia, the relevant stakeholders have gone further to launch long-term interventions and initiatives to meet the demands of terrorists who have finished their jail sentences. This approach is founded on various theories of criminology and encourages such offenders to become reintegrated fully in their respective societies. However, very little is known regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of most of these programs (Boucek, 2008). Different agencies and departments have been implementing such initiatives without considering some of the possible benefits and tradeoffs associated with them. This gap, therefore, explains why a detailed study could be appropriate to assess the nature and practicability of these rehabilitation interventions.
Rationale
Terrorism remains a major predicament affecting many societies across the Asian and Middle East regions. Governments have put in place mechanisms to minimize such acts and implement programs to help former criminals. The proposed study seeks to learn more about the nature and effectiveness of most of rehabilitation programs aimed at meeting the demands of former terrorists and vulnerable groups in Saudi Arabia.
The specified questions for this research study include:
- Are long-term rehabilitation interventions in Saudi Arabia appropriate and effectiveness?
- Do such programs help reduce the risk of recidivism among former terrorists?
The hypothesis for this study is: Long-term rehabilitation interventions implemented to reduce the risk of recidivism among released former terrorists are effective and practical in the selected country.
Research Method: Tools and Instruments
Questionnaires can help respondents present their views, statistics, and data regarding the effectiveness of long-term rehabilitation interventions. Professionals working in criminal justice departments and institutions providing such programs will offer their insights. The collected information will be compared and contrasted with what other scholars have found out in the past regarding the appropriateness of rehabilitation programs targeting incarcerated terrorists. The findings will be condensed and analyzed using a statistical tool to examine whether they support or disconfirm the presented hypothesis.
Significance and Conclusion
Currently, many countries identify terrorists as criminals who commit heinous offenses against innocent civilians. Most of these offenders tend to be incarcerated and other jailed for life. These decisions are made while ignoring the plight of such criminals and some of the contributing factors. While some societies have embraced evidence-based programs to help and empower some of these offenders, many remain reluctant and unwilling to adopt the strategy. The successful completion of this study will draw the line between the promotion and removal or rejection of rehabilitation programs for terrorists. The emerging insights will guide the government of Saudi Arabia to consider such programs and identify some f the best approaches to implement them in their respective jurisdictions. The study will also present new directions for further research and consider how such interventions could be standardized and personalized to support the delivery of sustainable results. The final outcomes from this study could help Saudi Arabia record additional gains in the fight against terrorism.
References
Boucek, C. (2008). Saudi Arabia’s “soft” counterterrorism strategy: Prevention, rehabilitation, and aftercare. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Crelinsten, R. D. (2010). Analyzing terrorism and counter-terrorism: A communication model. Terrorism and Political Violence, 14(2), 77-122.
National Security Research Division. (2010). Deradicalizing Islamist extremists. Rand Corporation.