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Preparing Kosovo’s correctional officers to deal with hostage-taking situations in prisons

28 April 2023
  • Officers impersonating prisoners demand better living conditions and release of their leader. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Officers apply knowledge gained through a series of role-plays and simulations. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Officers playing the roles of prisoners and hostages. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Officers Sabile Xhuraj and Gjylinaze Kastrati act as hostages taken by prison inmates. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Officer prepares for a prison riot simulation in full gear. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Officers acting out their roles in a hostage-taking simulation. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Psychologist and negotiator talking to prisoners in an effort to persuade them to find a peaceful resolution. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • After finding a peaceful resolution between the inmates and the negotiators, the hostages are released. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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  • Expert negotiator Ioan Batinas of Romania, assigns roles to corrections officers during a simulated prison riot and hostage situation. Vushtrri/Vučitrn, 27 April 2023. (OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj)
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The OSCE Mission in Kosovo concluded a one-week training for 20 Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS) officers on negotiations during hostage situations.

Through this practical exercise held in a prison, the officers learned for the first time about the key principles of effective communication in hostage negotiation and crisis management.

The role of psychological profiling in hostage negotiations was also part of the exercise. The officers were introduced to subjects such as personality disorders and mental illnesses, which are highly relevant to the work of a hostage negotiator.

Officers Sabile Xhuraj and Gjylinaze Kastrati from Women’s Correctional Centre in Lipjan/Lipljan and the Detention Centre in Pejë/Peć expressed appreciation for this practical training. “If we ever had such a case, we believe that based on what we gained from this training we would be able to resolve the situation in a peaceful way.”