One of CEP’s newest Board members is Imants Jurevicius, he leads a project of the Latvian government that explores alternatives to prison. The project was launched in June 2013 and CEP agreed to become a project partner. The full title is: “Increasing the Application of Alternatives to Imprisonment (Including Possible Pilot Project on Electronic Surveillance)”. Imants Jurevicius: ‘In Latvia the State Probation Service is relatively young, we are making a continuous effort to expand on our work programme. The current project, which is funded by the so called Norway Grants, builds upon existing practices for probation and prison staff, introducing new tasks and goals.’
Alternatives
In European countries, the use of Electronic Monitoring (EM) has become an accepted measure as an alternative or an addition to a prison sentence. ‘We recognized that EM is a solution that contributes to better rehabilitation and lower number of prisoners,’ explains Imants Jurevicius. ‘In Latvia, however, EM is not yet an accepted as a full alternative. In our project, we want to see if we can use EM in a ‘back door model’, after serving a prison sentence. The public opinion still strongly favours imprisonment so it is a gradual start.’ The change of attitude concerns the general public, prison staff as well as probation workers.
Young offenders
The project encompasses a number of possible alternatives. ‘Apart from EM,’ continues Imants Jurevicius, ‘the project is working on a range of practices that promote the desistance from crime. One example is the special assessment tool for young offenders. Probation officers have indicated that they need more tools such as special interventions and for this reason we are introducing new thinking into the programme, to increase their tool set.’
Other examples of results that the project hopes to achieve are a range in training programmes in:
– motivational interviewing
– working with sex offenders
– general enhancement of prison and probation officer’s skills
– dealing with mental health issues
– dealing with the changes in policy, aimed at managers
‘In other words,’ says Imants Jurevicius, ‘I hope that more alternatives to prison will be implemented, leading to both lower crime rates and less inmates in prison. The people that do enter the justice system, will receive better assistance for their rehabilitation, and staff will be better trained in doing their job.’
Partners
The biggest partner is the Norwegian Correctional Service, while the Norwegian government is the largest financial contributor. Through the Norway Grants and EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with European countries. This principle is applied in the Latvian project, which will be running until April 2016. Imants Jurevicius: ‘Our relationship with the Norwegian Correctional Service goes back to the 1997 Nordic Prison project, then funded by the European Council. Since then we have built a strong relationship. The Norwegians have extensive experience with EM, one of our principle learning points.’
CEP will assist the Latvian project in several different ways, particularly in making connections with experts and specific training from other countries. ‘We want to incorporate as much knowledge as possible and CEP can help us to share our experience with the other European countries,’ explains Imants Jurevicius. ‘I expect that CEP takes part in activities, for example in the organisation of events. I believe that it is very important that we pass on what we learn.’
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.
