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.
The authors undertook this research to address a clear gap in European knowledge. While burnout in probation has been widely discussed, there has been little comparative evidence on how different systems organise prevention, support their staff, and monitor well-being. The study responds directly to this need and aligns with the growing attention across Europe to the mental health of criminal justice professionals.
Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and an organisational survey completed by directors in twenty two jurisdictions, the report brings together individual experiences of stress with a detailed look at how organisations structure prevention and support. The findings show moderate levels of burnout across the sample, with only one third of staff classified as engaged. Crucially, the data demonstrates that staff morale is strongly associated with organisational design rather than individual factors alone.
The report identifies three clusters of organisational practice: advanced systems with well-established prevention and recovery structures, emerging systems with partial provision, and minimal systems where support remains informal. Countries with more formalised policies, routine training, confidential support, and structured reintegration were also those with higher staff engagement and fewer burnout cases.
This study offers an important message for all probation services. Staff well-being improves when it is embedded in governance, monitored regularly, and supported through clear structures rather than left to individual resilience. The report encourages jurisdictions to strengthen workload policies, enhance communication, expand access to mental health support, and build a routine infrastructure for listening to staff needs.
CEP invites members to read both the summary and the full report, which provide a comprehensive foundation for strengthening staff well-being across Europe.
The European survey of probation staff’s stress and morale
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Throughout 2025, CEP and its representatives actively participated in the online Technical meetings ahead of the HLF as well as the High Level Forum on Future of Criminal Justice taking place on 4-5 March 2025, 20-21 May 2025 and 1-2 October 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
On Thursday 22 January, CEP hosted the first webinar of 2025 on the topic of Alternatives to Detention. The session led by Ms. Marina Pajoni from the French Prison and Probation Service titled „Problem Solving Justice in Pracitce: The Meuse Probation Service´s Approach to Drug Addiction“ introduced an innovative programme developed by the Meuse Probation Service in close cooperation with the French Ministry of Justice.
The CEP is pleased to inform its members that a new dedicated section has been developed on the CEP website featuring an interactive map of Europe.
As we begin the new year, we would like to thank all CEP members, partners, and participants for your continued engagement and valuable contributions. Your involvement plays an essential role in shaping CEP’s work and activities.
We are pleased to share the CEP calendar for 2026, which provides an overview of the events planned for the year ahead. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and welcoming you to upcoming CEP activities throughout the year.
Thank you for being part of the CEP community.
CEP is delighted to share that Eden House, an Interventions Alliance residential service for women with high-risk or complex needs on probation, has been rated “Outstanding” overall by HM Inspectorate of Probation. In 2022, Eden House was honored with the CEP Public Protection Award. Our sincere congratulations to the team for this remarkable achievement.
The European Training Platform (ETP) is a search tool for justice professionals. You can find self-learning materials on a great variety of EU law practice areas and related topics, as well as links to training providers’ homepages and course catalogues.
