The 15th edition of the Irish Probation Journal was recently launched at the 23rd of November 2019. In this edition you will read about different projects and ongoing research in a range of areas including problem solving justice, risk assessment, service design and community engagement.
Given the recent developments with promoting and embedding the victim perspective within criminal justice, it is fitting that the opening paper from the Martin Tansey Memorial Lecture series is focused on the need for a more humane approach to crime that begins with the victim experience. T he inclusion of articles from Probation practice across the world is now a regular feature of the journal and this year’s article from Japan, with its unique focus on volunteers as part of probation practice will prompt reflection on the benefits and challenges of integrating the voluntary and the statutory. Staying with the voluntary theme, the complexities of the relationship between the voluntary and criminal justice sector are outlined in a paper that raises a number of critical questions and demonstrates the need for further debate and research in this area.
International expertise is also visible in an article on Service Design, a collaboration between the Royal College of Art in London and the University of Koln. An article on Problem Solving Courts, based on studies in the USA gives a comprehensive overview of practice in substance misuse and mental health problem solving courts that highlights the benefits of therapeutic jurisprudence for offenders, victims
and communities.
The Journal has been jointly published each year since 2004, by the Irish Probation Service and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and plays an important role in stimulating innovative thinking, providing a forum for debate and dialogue and promoting the sharing of good practice.
Click on the link to read the Irish Probation Journal Volume 15.
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.
Interventions Alliance has published a new evaluation of a Hub coordinated on behalf of police forces in the south of England, focused on tackling violence against women and children through a whole family approach. The Hub supports victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and works across policing, health and social services.
New updates from the European Commission highlight key priorities for judicial training in Europe, alongside new tools supporting transparency and access to data.
Today, 25 November, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. It is a global reminder, recognised by UNESCO and the wider international community, of the urgent need to prevent violence, support those affected by it, and strengthen collective action. The day also opens the 16 Days of Activism, a worldwide campaign that calls for sustained engagement to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
From 18-20 November 2025, 15th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation took part in Council of Europe, Strasbourg. CEP was represented by President Annie Devos, Vice-Presidents Danijela Mrhar Prelic (PC-CP member) and Daniel Danglades and Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin.
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.
CEP has released the first cross-European study examining stress, burnout, and morale among probation staff. The report was produced by Professor Charlie Brooker, Professor Karen Tocque, Professor Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica, whose combined expertise in public health, criminology, and organisational analysis provides an important contribution to our understanding of well-being in probation work.
