Tales from the Field

Chapter 6 examines how Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) practitioners in Quebec evaluate and monitor risk, focusing on the use of structured professional judgment (SPJ) tools within a context of neoliberal governance. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, the chapter explores the emergence of a distinct “Quebec model” of CVE, characterized by collaboration, consensus, and integration into preexisting social and health service networks. It highlights the challenges practitioners face when assessing potential radicalization, including uncertainty, fear of error, and ethical dilemmas in handling sensitive cases. The chapter also analyzes the development and use of risk-assessment tools as mechanisms of professional legitimacy, revealing tensions between different actors and the contested nature of expertise in the field. Furthermore, it illustrates how risk practices interact with traditional health and social services logics and how the concept of “closing doors” reflects the difficulty of determining when a risk has dissipated. By situating CVE risk assessment within broader frameworks of actuarial justice and social intervention, this chapter demonstrates how anticipatory governance shapes the everyday work of practitioners and contributes to the hybridization of high policing in Quebec.