Skip to content

News

Corrective Services NSW looks back on a successful World Congress

Two months ago on the 18th and 19th of September, 350 delegates from 26 countries came to Australia for the fourth edition of the World Congress on Probation organised by Corrective Services NSW. Together with former Assistant Commissioner (Community Corrections) and Chair of the Organising Committee Rosemary Caruana we look back at a successful World Congress on Probation.

How did you prepare for the congress?

Preparation for the 4th World Congress on Probation began two years ago, immediately after the 3rd World Congress in Japan. First priority was given to identifying and locking in a venue suitable to host the congress in Sydney. An organising committee was established with key personnel appointed to take lead roles in managing multiple aspects of the planning and final logistics associated with the three-day congress. Advice was also provided through the World Congress Advisory Group, which was established after the 3rd World Congress. A sub group, with international representation, assisted in the final selection of the 27 workshop papers.

The theme of the Congress was ‘Building Public Confidence in Community Offender Management’. This theme was chosen as there has recently been a growing awareness that offenders are managed in the community on a range of orders. This awareness is generally accompanied by a lack of understanding as to how offenders are managed and the associated practices which are underpinned by evidence. When serious offenders are released from custody into the community, or an offender on a community-based order commits a serious offence, the community is rightly concerned. As a result, agencies managing offenders in the community will continue to be in the spotlight and bridging the gap in community knowledge and building confidence in how offenders are managed is critical.

Planning was critical to the success of the Congress, and it was hard to believe how quickly the three days of the Congress went by after two years of planning.

How do you look back on the congress?

The Congress provided a mechanism for practitioners, policy-makers and academics from across the world to share knowledge, experiences and learning. It has also provided an opportunity for delegates to network with colleagues from across the world.

What was the most memorable?

As the chair of the organising committee, what was memorable was the level of energy and enthusiasm among the delegates. There was an eagerness to share and learn from each other’s experiences and practices but more importantly a number of ongoing contacts, networks and friendships, which extend beyond the Congress itself.

Materials will be made available soon through the websites of a number of professional bodies who were on the World Congress Advisory Committee. These include the:

  • Confederation of European Probation
  • American Probation and Parole Association
  • International Corrections and Prisons Association

Related News

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.

Recap

Probation outside Europe

Governance Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms in Probation and Parole: Compare and Contrast Europe and USA

19/09/2025

Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) organized an insightful webinar that introduced the theme “Governance oversight and accountability mechanisms in Probation and Parole. Compare and contrast Europe and USA”. This event took place on Thursday, 18 September 2025.

Recap

CEP Events, Framework Decisions

Recap: Expert Workshop on Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA and 2009/829/JHA

16/09/2025

The Expert Workshop held on September 10–11, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium, brought together senior managers, probation practitioners, criminal justice professionals such as lawyers and prosecutors from across Europe as well as representatives of the European Commission, Academy of European Law and European Judicial Network to discuss the advancements in the implementation of Framework Decisions 2008/947/JHA and 2009/829/JHA. Hosted at the Houses of Justice, the CEP Expert Workshop served as a dynamic platform for mutual learning, collaboration, and strategic planning.

New

Probation in Europe

New Vodcast Episode: Katharina Heitz on the Ressources-Risk-Inventory in Probation

11/09/2025

The 14th episode of Division_Y features Katharina Heitz, Head of the Central Department for Social Work at the Public Probation and Parole Service Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Recap

CEP Board, Probation in Europe

CEP at ESC 2025: Penal Policy Transfer and Ageing in Prison in Focus

08/09/2025

The Confederation of European Probation (CEP) had a strong presence at the 25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (EUROCRIM 2025), held in Athens from 3 to 6 September 2025. As one of Europe’s largest gatherings of criminologists, the ESC annual conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world to exchange knowledge on crime, justice, and social responses. This year’s theme was “Logos of Crime and Punishment,” inspired by classical Greek philosophy.

Probation in Europe, Technology

Have Your Say: EU Call for Evidence on the Digitalisation of Justice (2025–2030)

18/08/2025

The European Commission has opened a Call for Evidence on the Digitalisation of Justice: 2025–2030 European Judicial Training Strategy.

Reading corner

Criminal Justice

Parole Futures

18/08/2025

At a time when many parole systems are experiencing considerable strain, the aims of this collection are twofold: first, to encourage systematic and critical reflection on the rationalities, institutions and practices of parole. Second, to think big, and pose ambitious ‘what if’ questions about the possible futures of parole and prison release. Offering novel insights from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, this collection builds the case for, and then showcases, a ‘way of doing’ parole research that is global in outlook, interdisciplinary in approach and unapologetically normative in character.

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!