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.
Uncategorized
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.
New
Prison
From Challenges to Solutions: Mapping European Strategies on Prison Overcrowding
06/01/2026
EuroPris has published a new report titled From Challenges to Solutions: Mapping European Strategies on Prison Overcrowding. The report provides an overview of how prison administrations across Europe are addressing prison overcrowding and their responses to it.
The mapping exercise was conducted between April and September 2025. It is based on structured survey responses from 33 national and regional prison administrations, representing approximately 80% of EuroPris members. The findings are complemented by expert interviews and institutional input.
New
Probation in Europe
New calls for proposals under the CERV and Justice programmes!
05/01/2026
Discover the first 2026 calls and do not miss the opportunity to apply.
Reading corner
Probation in Europe
The Routledge Handbook of European Penology
05/01/2026
The Routledge Handbook of European Penology, published by Routledge. This comprehensive volume has been edited by Sonja Snacken, Gaëtan Cliquennois, Ioan Durnescu, Diete Humblet and Elena Larrauri.
New
Domestic violence, Gender-based violence
Practitioner guidance for supporting neurodivergent clients in domestic abuse work
23/12/2025
A new practitioner guide is currently being piloted across the UK that aims to support professionals working with neurodivergent clients for more inclusive domestic abuse perpetrator interventions. The guide has been co developed for domestic abuse perpetrator intervention practitioners who work with neurodivergent clients, translating research findings into practical guidance for day to day practice.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.