On the 10th of December, Sweden was the floor for the fourth edition of the annual Expert Meeting on the topic of violent extremism. Experts from all over Europe gathered to share their knowledge and discuss the latest developments in the field. The topic of the meeting was right wing extremism. The meeting was hosted by the regional office of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service in Stockholm.
The meeting consisted of several presentations. The first one was held by Prof. Ioan Durnescu (Romania) on the work with violent extremists in probation. Followed by Anders Forsgren (Sweden) on the experiences with this type offenders in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service and Jenniina Kotajoki (Sweden) on her experiences with extremism in Somali prisons. Robert Örell (Sweden) was the final person to give a presentation about lessons on disengagement from violent right-wing extremism.
In the afternoon the participants split up in groups to discuss the challenges and aims of the expert group, and elaborated on a specific case study.
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.
