the future of <u+201c>deradicalization<u+201d> programs in the u.s. is at a pivotal juncture this week, when a federal judge in minnesota will decide the appropriate sentence for nine convicted islamic state sympathizers. u.s. district judge michael davis, a senior federal judge in minneapolis, took an unprecedented step before the sentencings . he asked a deradicalization expert from germany to come to the u.s., interview six of the nine defendants, all somali-americans in their 20s, and determine whether they would be candidates for a reduced sentence. if judge davis decides to send any of the defendants into a deradicalization program instead of prison, it could set the model for other federal officials grappling with how the legal system should treat young people with a desire to join islamic state. it also would raise uncertainties about the logistics of such a program, including who would fund it or be responsible for any failures. the fact that the judge would consider deradicalization as part of a sentence <u+201c>is absolutely new in the u.s.,<u+201d> said daniel koehler, the expert hired by judge davis. dr. koehler, who started his career counseling neo-nazi extremists in germany, runs a nonprofit there that helps implement deradicalization programs. since early 2014, more than 100 americans have been arrested on charges related to islamic state. these defendants are mostly u.s. citizens in their early 20s and often convicted of crimes that carry a maximum of decades in prison, meaning they will be released back to society as middle-aged adults. law-enforcement officials are recognizing that the previous solution of a lengthy prison sentence isn<u+2019>t right for everyone. given their youth, many islamic state sympathizers still have time for rehabilitation, defense lawyers say, but federal prisons lack counseling geared specifically at terrorism disengagement. moreover, there are few deradicalization experts or nonprofits in the u.s., spurring efforts like judge davis<u+2019>s. these efforts are now happening against the backdrop of a transition in power in washington. the incoming administration led by president-elect donald trump is expected to be less supportive than the obama administration of deradicalization or treatment programs for terrorism defendants, legal experts say. the nine men facing sentencing next week were accused of supporting islamic state to varying degrees. many of them bought plane tickets to turkey with syria as the ultimate destination, and were arrested and detained by law enforcement before they could board planes. some were convicted by a jury, while others pleaded guilty and testified against their friends at trial in hopes of a more lenient sentence. for the defendants convicted of conspiring to commit murder in syria on behalf of islamic state, the government has asked for up to 30 or 40 years in prison. others face less than five years. dr. koehler said he spent approximately 200 hours preparing individual assessments for the judge, which include whether the defendant would be a good fit for a deradicalization program. at a hearing in september, dr. koehler said some defendants were still committed to islamic state ideology and had a medium to high risk of re-offending. since there is no precedent for this, judge davis would have wide latitude to set the parameters of any deradicalization program. he also could give guideline prison sentences to every defendant. any sentence he gives could be overturned by an appeals court. in asking for leniency, several defense lawyers said their clients mistakenly thought islamic state was a humanitarian organization and were trying to go to syria to help women and children. prosecutors rejected these claims, calling them <u+201c>dangerously subversive<u+201d> and <u+201c>completely unmoored from the facts.<u+201d> sentencing papers offered a window into how these young men became radicalized. many defense lawyers said their clients grew up in impoverished neighborhoods and struggled to reconcile their identity as muslim and somali at home with the pressure to fit in with western children at school. these young men wanted a sense of belonging and the ability to make a difference, which they thought islamic state provided, according to court documents. lawyers for one defendant, abdullahi yusuf, asked judge davis to give their client no additional prison time and release him to a program run by a local nonprofit called heartland democracy, which has been counseling mr. yusuf in jail since his arrest two years ago. mr. yusuf, 20 years old, attempted in may 2014 to travel to syria and join islamic state. last year, judge davis allowed mr. yusuf to spend time before trial in a halfway house instead of in jail. mr. yusuf was sent back to federal custody a few months later, after a box cutter was found under his bed. his lawyers have said the knife was planted there and didn<u+2019>t belong to him. still, his lawyers in a court filing called for mr. yusuf to be sentenced to a deradicalization program that could include counseling from an islamic scholar, family group therapy and <u+201c>structured academic pursuits.<u+201d> prosecutors recommended a sentence of 3<u+00bd> years, although they said any sentence should allow mr. yusuf to continue meeting with heartland democracy. write to nicole hong at nicole.hong@wsj.com
<u+2018>deradicalization<u+2019> programs face critical test in islamic state cases  - wsj
nicole hong