CEP Probation

12/11/2025

CEP together with Europris have hosted the Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation (FNPP) Expert Group Meeting in Madrid, Spain. Welcomed by the Director General and the Secretary General of the General Secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions at their headquarters, this two-day meeting brought together experts from across Europe to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and discuss recent developments in the management and treatment of foreign nationals in prison and probation.

On Day 1, discussions focused on the revision of CM/Rec(2012)12, best practices concerning FNPPs, nationals imprisoned abroad, and the implementation of FD 909 and FD 947.

Day 2 included an e-learning module, discussions on the revision of the CoE Europe (European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) course, followed by one-on-one sessions on facilitating multi-agency cooperation and promoting change through small steps that stick. The motto for the day was: “Collaboration does not always need permission, just purpose.”

A big thank you to all experts for making this two-day meeting insightful and inspiring! We look forward to continued collaboration and further exchanges with our expert group members.

06/11/2025

We’ve just concluded the final CoPPer conference in The Hague. Nearly 70 participants joined us from across Europe and beyond, making it a truly inspiring event. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our results, reflect on our journey, and celebrate what we’ve achieved together.
A heartfelt thank-you to all the partners for their dedication, collaboration, and commitment throughout the project. And thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event a success!

04/11/2025

The Workshop on Transition from Prison to Probation will include two practical, interactive sessions led by experienced professionals.
1️ Trauma-Informed Homes: Balancing Care and Control in the Journey from Custody to Community
2️ Building Buy-In: Strengthening Multi-Agency Commitment in Prison-to-Probation Transitions
These sessions will offer practical tools and examples that participants can adapt to their own contexts, helping to improve coordination, rehabilitation and reintegration.
📅LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT TO REGISTER– register before 17 November 2025.
🔗 https://cutt.ly/krTdqrjM

04/11/2025

Go Follow Copper to learn more about this project!

At the CBO Summit last Thursday 23rd October we heard from panel discussions on a variety of topics of relevance and interest to those working in the criminal justice sector.

One panel discussion in the afternoon was on the topic of Volunteerism in Probation. This panel included Tony Swaine, Senior Probation Officer with the Irish Probation Service, Dr Katharina Swirak, Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Department of Sociology and Criminology at University College Cork, Alan Quinn, Southern Regional Manager with Le Chéile Mentoring and Michael E. Daly, Co-ordinator of the Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) programme with Pace.

Tony and Katharina are both involved with the European CoPPer Project - Cooperation to Promote a European Volunteering Programme in Probation Services. They spoke about the work of the CoPPer Project, with Katharina discussing her evidence review on volunteering in probation.

Alan and Michael spoke of the role of volunteers in their respective services. They outlined the skills and value volunteers bring to working with probation clients to support community building and social inclusion.

The panel discussion was very well received by those in attendance who had an opportunity to hear about the CoPPer Project, as well as the vital and impactful role volunteers play in supporting the work of Community Based Organisations and the Probation Service.

29/10/2025

CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! Articles on the 15th General Assembly, CEP conference: Gender-Based Violence in Probation, CEP Awards, CEP seeks audit of CEP website, and more.>> Read here: https://mailchi.mp/08606e7d20cb/newsletter2025-12850941

21/10/2025

What an inspiring week in Vienna! 🇦🇹
From 14–16 October 2025, CEP and Neustart hosted the 15th CEP General Assembly and the International Conference on Gender-Based Violence in Probation: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

The event brought together more than 100 probation professionals, policymakers, and researchers from across Europe to discuss how probation systems can better address and prevent gender-based violence.

Highlights included insightful sessions on European policy, good practices in rehabilitation and interagency cooperation, and the election of CEP’s new Board during the General Assembly.

📸 Photos from the event are now available online: https://cutt.ly/1r8mrIPx
🎥 A recap video will be published soon on the CEP website and social channels.
🏅 View the CEP Award winners here: https://www.cep-probation.org/awards/cep-awards-2025/

A big thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event such a success! 💙

15/10/2025

15/10/2025

This morning, we gathered in Vienna for the 15th CEP General Assembly 💬
An important moment to reflect on our work, celebrate achievements, and look ahead to the next three years together.
Thank you all for joining us!

09/10/2025

🎥 New on Division_Y:
Leo Tigges, a freelancing consultant and former Secretary General of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP), talks about his career and his publication with Steve Pitts on Probation Capacity Building.

▶️ Watch now : https://youtu.be/KzLuR2Ia4sM

03/10/2025

For five days, probation professionals from across Europe, the US, and Korea came together to strengthen essential skills like motivational interviewing, pro-social modelling, and cognitive restructuring, while also building an international network of colleagues.

Highlights included a roundtable on Leadership in Probation and Parole, a study visit to the City of Justice, and inspiring exchanges of practice across borders.

▶️ Watch the recap video here:

Barcelona was the stage for the CEP International Training School on Core Correctional Skills (ITSCCS) 2025, held from 29 September to 3 October. Over five d...