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Recap: CEP conference on Probation and restorative justice as alternatives to detention within the European Framework in Slovakia
On the 23rd and 25th of May 2023, the CEP together with the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic organized, under the auspices of the President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Caputova, the Conference on Probation and Restorative Justice as Alternatives to Detention within the European Framework. 48 participants from 19 different European countries were represented at the CEP Conference in Bratislava, Slovakia.
On the first day, we received a warm welcome from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic at the Historical Building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. The red- line through the Conference on Alternatives to Detention was mainly focused on the importance of long-term effects, and how to improve offender’s rehabilitation with respect to the strategic objectives of preventing crime, minimizing the risk of recidivism, providing solutions to crime-related conflicts, and ensuring victims are taken care of accordingly.
Even though probation has uneven development across Europe, it remains crucial to keep the conversation going between different levels of the Criminal Justice System to enhance communication between probation staff and service clients. Mainly, due to the constant changes within the criminal policies, technology, and treatment programs, it remains of additional value to share knowledge and exchange information among professionals in the field, since there are many challenges that might lay ahead of us. However, if we work together, the voice for probation will become stronger and probation in conjunction with mediation will turn lives around for the better of themselves and their respective communities.
Conference booklet
Presentations
Workshop sessions
Effective communication as a basic professional skill, Mr. Jānis Zārdiņš, State Probation Service, Latvia
Probation services as evolving organizations, Mr. Goran Brkic, Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, Croatia
Probation and alternatives in Europe – overview, Ms. Iuliana Cărbunaru, Ministry of Justice, Romania
Drug Court as a Substitute to Detention, Ms. Ingunn Seim, Norwegian Correctional Service, Norway
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