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Building Core Skills, Building Connections: V edition of the ITSCCS 2025 in Barcelona
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 days, the Centre d’Estudis Jurídics i Formació Especialitzada became a hub for practitioners eager to sharpen the practical tools that define effective work in the criminal justice field.
The programme combined theory, skills practice and peer learning, focusing on essential Core correctional skills such as relationship skills, problem-solving, motivational interviewing, pro-social modelling and cognitive restructuring. Participants worked in small groups, learning not just from expert trainers but also from each other’s professional experience.
The school opened with a round table on Leadership in Probation and Parole, bringing together distinguished voices from across Europe and beyond. The panel featured Annie Devos (CEP President and Director-General, Wallonia-Brussels Federation Probation Service), Imants Jurevicius (Head, State Probation Service of Latvia), Jochum Wildeman (Head of International Department, Dutch Probation, the Netherlands), and Marta Ferrer (CEP Vice-President and Deputy Director of Catalan Probation and Restorative Justice Services, Catalonia). A special highlight of the session was the participation of Veronica Ballard Cunningham, Executive Director of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA, USA), whose presence underscored the transatlantic dimension of the training school and the importance of global dialogue on probation practice. After the round table, Veronica summed up the spirit of the exchange: “We face the same struggles, embrace our differences, and work towards the same goal.”
Midway through the programme, the group took part in a study visit to the City of Justice in Barcelona. Participants had the opportunity to see the courts, probation teams’ offices, victims’ offices and other key facilities. The visit concluded with a round table interview with the leaders of the three organisations delivering probation services in Catalonia, offering an inside view of how different agencies cooperate to provide effective community-based justice.
A total of 22 participants joined this edition, travelling from Estonia, Czech Republic, Germany, United States, Scotland, United Kingdom, Latvia, Belgium, Catalonia and Korea. The mix of European and international perspectives created lively discussions and offered a unique chance to compare approaches across different systems.
Beyond the classroom, the training was also about connection: building a community of professionals who can continue to exchange knowledge long after the Barcelona course has ended. One participant summed it up: “The training gave me not only new skills but also colleagues I can reach out to when facing challenges in my practice.”
With its blend of intensive learning and international networking, the V edition of ITSCCS once again showed why it has become a landmark event in CEP’s calendar — strengthening both the people and the partnerships that shape Probation practice across the world.
view the recap video below!
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