This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Center for Legal Studies and Specialized Training (CEJFE) in Barcelona, Catalonia – Spain.
Agora: Present and future of training and applied research in the field of criminal justice: a European perspective
To commemorate the anniversary, in 2023 five outstanding events, under the name of Agoras, were organized. Experts in the field of training were invited to discuss and reflect on the training of criminal justice professionals. The aim of this program of activities was to highlight the multiple contributions made in these four decades, identify pending challenges and last but not least to reflect and discuss on a new direction of the CEJFE for the coming years.
On Friday, 15 December 2023, as part of the Agora: ¨Present and future of training and applied research in the field of criminal justice: a European perspective¨, Ms. Danijela Mrhar Prelic, Director General of the Probation Administration in Slovenia and CEP Board member, presented as a good practice the model and strategy for the training of Probation professionals in Slovenia.
The Confederation of European Probation once again extends its sincere congratulations to the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialized Training for the 40 years of excellent work and thanks for close collaboration, partnership, support and friendship.
Within the framework of this joint work and partnership, the collaboration agreement between the Catalan Justice Department and the Confederation of European Probation is also noteworthy.
Ms. Marta Ferrer, Deputy Director of Restoration and Probation in Catalonia is a current CEP Board member.
CEP has one of its offices at the CEJFE with Ms. Anna Esquerrà Roqueta working as the CEP Policy and Liaison Officer, and over the years, it has organized various international activities (workshops, summer courses, expert groups, and others) there.
More on the work of CEJFE can be found here
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
CEP has released the first cross-European study examining stress, burnout, and morale among probation staff. The report was produced by Professor Charlie Brooker, Professor Karen Tocque, Professor Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica, whose combined expertise in public health, criminology, and organisational analysis provides an important contribution to our understanding of well-being in probation work.
On 12 and 13 November 2025, CEP Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin participated in the Multilateral Meeting on Women in Prison: Advancing Gender-Sensitive Policies and Practices, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The meeting brought together representatives from 40 member states, penitentiary administrations, and international experts, united by a shared commitment to improving rehabilitation, reducing re-offending, and promoting gender equality in places of deprivation of liberty.
This book, Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance, has been released by Routledge. It is a practice-oriented resource exploring how forensic social work can support desistance and foster meaningful change in the lives of justice-involved individuals.
The 16th episode of Division_Y features Stephan Leißner, a public probation and parole officer at the Coburg Regional Court in Bavaria, Germany.
On 6 November 2025, the CoPPer Final Project Conference took place at Het Nutshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands, marking a milestone in European cooperation and innovation in the field of probation. The event brought together 66 participants representing jurisdictions from Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Estonia, as well as Türkiye and Japan. A clear sign of the growing international interest in the CoPPer project and its outcomes.
CEP SG Jana Spero Kamenjarin attended the 27th International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) Conference, held in Istanbul, Türkiye. The conference brought together professionals, researchers, and policy experts from around the world to share insights and best practices. There were approximately 700 participants and the conference program consisted of 151 presentations.
