"When I was younger, I had no direction in my life. I thought of religion as the way to find meaning, and after the first Bali bombing, I became interested in jihad."

Amir began to meet with Islamist groups, and with more radically minded clerics. In 2005, he became acquainted with Syaifuddin Zuhri who began to directly mentor him.

"There was a bond between he and I," says Amir. "I was willing to contribute my energy, my money, my thoughts, everything to help him in his activities. Soon Syaifuddin said he deemed me worthy to join in his plans to bomb the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels."

Amir and his counterparts carried out the attack on July 17, 2009. He was on the run for about one month  before the authorities caught up with him. Throughout his detention, Amir says he was stubborn and maintained that the attack was religiously justified. Some of those imprisoned with him did not agree with what he had done. The prison invited several clerics to build a dialogue with those imprisoned for terror offenses. 

"I reflected on my actions. I came to understand that I had  swallowed radical preaching raw before I had learned how to critically consider whether certain things were right or wrong. In Indonesia, there are no obstacles to worship; we are free. If a country is already safe why should I be trying to make it unsafe? I had attacked  my own community, exploding a bomb resulting in the deaths of my fellow innocent Muslims."

"When I got out of prison, people around me were a bit awkward, and a little scared. But when there was a community service I could get involved with, I decided to join. People started to see the change in me. They even trusted me to lead a prayer at the mosque. I feel like we can prevent terrorism by consulting more ex-terrorists. We have valuable experiences and knowledge to share."

In many countries, prison systems provide a crucial entry point for disengagement from violent extremism groups, but greater attention is needed on prison conditions, education and reintegration into communities. Policy makers must implement prison reform that encompasses deradicalization and violent extremist programmes. Key elements include: good prison management practices; proper filing and classification systems; quality prison conditions, including infrastructure and living conditions; and rehabilitation programmes.