Previous Article
News
Council of Europe: SPACE II 2023 released
The Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics on Persons under the Supervision of Probation Agencies (known as „SPACE II“) has been published. The document provides data on non-custodial sanctions and measures in 41 out of 51 probation agencies in the 46 Council of Europe´s Member States.
On 31 January 2023, there were 1 330 838 persons under supervision of probation agencies. This data corresponds to a median European probation population rate of 164 persons under probation / 100 000 inhabitants. Compared to 2022, the total number of persons under probation stayed stable from 1 315 131 to 1 330 838 in 2023.
Almost 89% of persons under supervision are male with approximately 11% of female. The number of female under supervision is higher than in prisons (approx. 5%). The higher percentage of women in probation can be explained by the types of offences (less serious not leading to a prison sentence) and by the fact that women as primary caregivers of minor children are placed on probation or granted conditional release more often than men.
The median percentage of foreigners under supervision is 11,7% compared to more than 16% of foreigners in prisons. Most of the foreigners are placed on probation in Western and Central Europe. To compare, the percentage of foreigners in prison in Eastern Europe is lower than 5% while in Central and Western Europe it is at least of 10%. A few countries, e.g. Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Catalonia-Spain, reached 50% and higher. The reasons behind can be e.g. more difficulties faced to meet the conditions to be placed on probation with troubles to get accommodation or the fact that after serving the prison sentence some of the foreigners will be deported from the country.
The report including key findings can be downloaded here: https://wp.unil.ch/space/space-ii/annual-reports/
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.
New
CEP members, Gender-based violence
Interventions Alliance’s Eden House Recognized as Outstanding
15/01/2026
CEP is delighted to share that Eden House, an Interventions Alliance residential service for women with high-risk or complex needs on probation, has been rated “Outstanding” overall by HM Inspectorate of Probation. In 2022, Eden House was honored with the CEP Public Protection Award. Our sincere congratulations to the team for this remarkable achievement.
New
Education and Training
The Judicial Training Dashboard
14/01/2026
The European Training Platform (ETP) is a search tool for justice professionals. You can find self-learning materials on a great variety of EU law practice areas and related topics, as well as links to training providers’ homepages and course catalogues.
New
Technology
Communication on DigitalJustice@2030
13/01/2026
The EU’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on the digitalisation of all sectors, which will drive investment. Digitalisation and the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) will be essential to the ability of public authorities to deliver high-quality public services, notably also in the field of justice. Europe’s Digital Decade is underway with the ambition that by 2030 the EU has all key public services available online. The ultimate aim will be to increase the efficiency of public services by making them digital by default, stimulating productivity.
New
Alternatives to pre-trial detention, CEP Events
Webinar on Alternatives to Detention – CEP Webinar Series 2026
13/01/2026
CEP is pleased to invite you to the first webinar in the CEP Webinar Series 2026, taking place on Thursday, 22 January 2026, at 14:00 CET. This webinar will introduce a unique programme developed by the Meuse Probation Service, which was awarded the CEP Award 2025 in the category of Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion (The Sue Hall Award).
New
Alternatives to pre-trial detention, CEP Events
CEP Webinar Series 2026
12/01/2026
In 2026 CEP launches a series of short webinars that will take place every third Thursday of January, March, May and November.
We sincerely invite all probation practitioners, social workers, managers, policy makers, researchers, students as well as colleagues from partners organisations to join and share your knowledge with us.
New
Uncategorized
Help Us Improve the CEP Website
07/01/2026
At Confederation of European Probation (CEP), we want to make sure our website continues to support our mission and the work of our community in the best possible way.
We are inviting you to take part in a short survey that takes around six minutes. Your feedback will help us understand what is working well and where the website can be improved.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.