Skip to content

News

Expert Group on Mental Health Advances Work on European Training Curriculum for Probation Officers

The CEP Expert Group on Mental Health met on 19 November 2025 to continue its work on developing a European mental health training curriculum for probation officers. Since last year, the group has been working intensively and meticulously to produce a solid first version of the curriculum.

This initial draft was recently shared with 13 European probation services and reviewed by around 30 professionals, who were invited to provide external validation and feedback.

During today’s meeting, the group reviewed all contributions received and carefully assessed how to incorporate them while ensuring the overall coherence of the document.

Although significant progress has been made, the group has not yet finalised this phase of the work. Members will continue refining the curriculum in the coming months to ensure a high-quality, comprehensive, and representative result for all European countries.

Looking ahead, the group has also planned an in-person meeting for early 2026. In addition to the curriculum, the Expert Group will begin developing practical materials and a guide to support probation officers in working with probationers who experience mental health difficulties. These resources are intended to be translated into various EU languages to maximise accessibility and impact.

The Expert Group will continue to meet regularly as it advances this important initiative for European probation practice.

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

Electronic monitoring

Electronic Monitoring in Europe: Insights from the 13th Electronic Monitoring conference Questionnaire

30/03/2026

The 13th Electronic Monitoring (EM) conference Questionnaire has now been released, offering a comprehensive overview of how EM is applied across Europe today.ion.

New

CEP members

New CEP member: Guernsey Probation Service

25/03/2026

In recent weeks, CEP has interviewed individual members and representatives of the new member organisations that joined CEP at the beginning of 2026. In these interviews, the new member organisations or individual members will share information on why they decided to become members, how they would like to contribute to the development of CEP and many more.
Enjoy reading!

Recap

Probation outside Europe

Recap: CEP and APPA webinar

25/03/2026

Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) hosted the second joint webinar on 24 March 2026, this time on “Integrity of Performance: Ensuring Meaningful and Ethical Outcomes”.

The overarching theme of integrity of performance was explored through two distinct perspectives on this fundamental concept.

 

 

 

Recap

Communication and Awareness-Raising

Recap: Opening Doors to Second Chances: The Mission and Impact of Yellow Ribbon Run

25/03/2026

On Thursday 19 March, CEP hosted the second webinar of 2026 on the topic of Alternatives to Detention. The session led by Dr. Gabriela Slovakova from the Czech Probation and Mediation Service titled „Opening Doors to Second Chances: The Mission and Impact of Yellow Ribbon Run“ introduced the Yellow Ribbon project with a powerful message of second chances and fair opportunities.

New

CEP Board

Interview with new CEP board member Žilvinas Miliauskas

17/03/2026

During the General Assembly in Austria, a new CEP Board got elected for the upcoming three years. In the coming weeks we will publish interviews with all newly-elected board members where they will share information on their professional background, how they would like to contribute, what challenges lie ahead and many more.

Enjoy reading!

Recap

Violent Extremism

Recap: Expert Group meeting on Violent Extremism

16/03/2026

On 12–13 March 2026, the Expert Group on Violent Extremism convened for an in‑person meeting in Bucharest, Romania. Hosted at the University of Bucharest, the meeting brought together practitioners and representatives from across Europe to finalise the overview of best practices for preventive interventions targeting juveniles and young adults up to the age of 26 under probation. Building on the extensive discussions and progress made in 2025, the group worked collaboratively to bring the document to completion.

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!