CEP President Annie Devos delivered a keynote speech at the 12th international seminar of the EFRJ on Policy Matters in Restorative Justice Mapping a Field in its Process of Growth and Innovation, held in Pamplona, Spain on June 22-23, 2023.
During the seminar, discussions centred around the significant progress made in the field of restorative justice over the past decade, marked by the publication of various international legal and policy instruments. These developments have expanded the application of restorative justice within the criminal justice system, encompassing stages of criminal procedures and addressing complex crimes such as gender-based violence, child abuse, and violent extremism. Despite these advancements, challenges persist in terms of limited access to restorative justice services due to lack of awareness, cooperation with relevant bodies, and insufficient funding for high-quality services.
The seminar aimed to bridge the gap between policy and practice in the field of restorative justice, with a dual focus on how policies can support the concrete development of restorative justice practices at regional, national, and international levels, and exploring emerging policy areas that intersect with restorative justice, such as gender-based violence, polarization and hate, racism, and links with victim support, probation, and prison work.
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Interventions Alliance has published a new evaluation of a Hub coordinated on behalf of police forces in the south of England, focused on tackling violence against women and children through a whole family approach. The Hub supports victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and works across policing, health and social services.
New updates from the European Commission highlight key priorities for judicial training in Europe, alongside new tools supporting transparency and access to data.
Today, 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. It is a global reminder, recognised by UNESCO and the wider international community, of the urgent need to prevent violence, support those affected by it, and strengthen collective action. The day also opens the 16 Days of Activism, a worldwide campaign that calls for sustained engagement to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
From 18-20 November 2025, 15th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation took part in Council of Europe, Strasbourg. CEP was represented by President Annie Devos, Vice-Presidents Danijela Mrhar Prelic (PC-CP member) and Daniel Danglades and Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin.
The CEP Expert Group on Mental Health met on 19 November 2025 to continue its work on developing a European mental health training curriculum for probation officers. Since last year, the group has been working intensively and meticulously to produce a solid first version of the curriculum.
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.
