Workshop on Caseload and Workload: Supporting Sustainable Probation Through the Human Dimension

On 27 and 28 May 2026, Bucharest hosted the CEP Workshop on Caseload and Workload: Supporting Sustainable Probation Through the Human Dimension. With 40 participants representing 18 European jurisdictions, as well as delegates from South Korea, the workshop offered opportunities to exchange knowledge and develop strategies to manage the increasing caseload and workload in probation. Designed as an interactive space, it provided participants – practitioners, managers, researchers and experts – with reflections on current pressures within probation services and it explored practical, evidence‑informed solutions from across Europe.

27 May 2026

28 May 2026

Bucharest, Romania

Program

Objectives of the workshops are:

to discuss current challenges and trends related to caseloads and workloads in probation services and how this influence decision‑making, service quality, and staff well‑being;
to introduce the Guidelines on Caseload and Workload developed by the Expert Group and their practical application;
to coordinate and develop actionable strategies to support effective workload management and improve service delivery;
to share good practices and explore successful programs and initiatives (including health-related approaches) that have proven effective in reducing caseloads and supporting effective workload management.

The workshop aims to support participants in identifying concrete steps they can implement within their own jurisdictions, while fostering cross‑country dialogue and cooperation in addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing probation systems today.

Target group

Probation Practitioners / Case Managers directly involved in client supervision and reporting.
Senior Probation Officers / Team Leaders responsible for supervising staff and allocating cases.
Managers in Probation Services overseeing resources and staffing decisions.
Policy Makers / Administrators interested in workload standards and resource planning.
Researchers / Analysts studying workload impact and efficiency.
Training Coordinators integrating best practices into staff development.
Other key criminal justice professionals

The two-day workshop was opened by the Deputy Director Diana Mustatea and CEP Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin, who stressed the importance of a coordinated, evidence-based approach to addressing caseload and workload issues in probation. The continuing programme, combined with a research perspective presented by Prof. Christian Ghanem, who raised the question of how many cases are too many, has been raised since the very early stages of probation as a profession, yet has never been answered in a consistent way. Marian Badea, Prof. Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica then presented on the Romanian national and international practices. This included an analysis of probation counsellors’ perceptions in Romania, the impact of organisational policies and practices on workload, and findings from a pan-European study on staff morale and burnout.

Vesna Zelic Ferencic, together with Marian Badea, introduced the Guidelines on Caseload and Workload (to be published in June 2026), concluding with a presentation of a roadmap for designing an effective caseload and workload model. As a follow-up, Aleksandra Kerna presented a practical example of how workload is approached in Latvia, which is also reflected in the Guidelines.

The afternoon interactive sessions included a roundtable moderated by Joachim Tein, focusing on the daily work of probation officers, including tasks, responsibilities, and the division of work. Experiences were shared by colleagues from Romania (Alexandra Belsiun Tomulescu), Latvia (Sintija Stivrina), and France (Marie-Sophie Biggio).

The final panel session explored how different models operate in practice across European jurisdictions, featuring examples from Flanders, Belgium (Ben van Heesch), Sweden (Ida Ulveryd), and England and Wales (Ian Barrow and Jon Matthews).

On Day 2, participants had a unique opportunity to engage with the topic through six different scenarios, each addressing specific challenges related to caseload and workload in the Practice Labs. The workshop concluded with an Idea Wall session, gathering participants’ feedback and forward-looking ideas to support the future development of sustainable probation practice.

The workshop was organised in cooperation with the National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania and CEP Expert Group on Caseload and Workload.