Previous Article
News
Professor Paul Senior
It was very sad to hear that Paul Senior has, after his long battle with serious illness, passed away on 22nd June 2019. It is particularly sad to lose such a redoubtable hero, friend and true champion for probation and community measures.
Paul Senior became a probation officer in Doncaster in England in the 1970s and then worked as Training Officer in South Yorkshire Probation. After a period in 1980s as Chair of NAPO’s Professional Practice Committee and following many publications, he joining Sheffield Hallam University part-time and was appointed as their first Professor of Probation Studies in 1996. Paul Senior trained many probation officers in England and Wales and made a significant contribution to training and academia in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and elsewhere. He has written many probation-related papers and led important projects. Paul Senior was Director of Sheffield Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University and Editor of their Community Justice Portal. Paul was until last year, the Chair of the Probation Institute.
Nothing epitomises the passion and commitment of Paul Senior to the probation ideal more than his passionate but measured 2013 Bill McWilliams lecture, Privatising Probation: The Death Knell of a Much-Cherished Public Service? His influence and importance in probation thinking with his questioning and skilled interrogation of thorny issues become legendary. Throughout the many would be ‘reforms’ and particularly, the TR episode, Paul stood, as a challenging, articulate and critical voice, testing and questioning the rationale and results of the constant dismantling and restructuring of probation in England and Wales.
Paul Senior died peacefully, with his family at his side, after a courageous six-year battle with cancer. He will be much missed and long remembered in the probation family worldwide. May he Rest in Peace.
Gerry McNally
CEP President
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
Probation outside Europe
CEP and CAPP sign Affiliation Agreement during 7th WCCP
01/05/2026
On 15 April 2026, during the World Congress on Probation and Parole in Bali, the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) signed an Affiliation Agreement with the Caribbean Association of Probation and Parole (CAPP).
Recap
Technology
CEP Expert Group on Technology – online network meeting
30/04/2026
On Tuesday, 28 April 2026, the CEP Expert Group on Technology hosted an online network meeting introducing the newly finalised Practice Recommendations on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Probation.
New
Uncategorized
Newsletter April 2026 out now
30/04/2026
CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! Articles on the recap 7th World Congress on Probation and Parole, upcoming event Workshop on Caseload and Workload, last days for Early bird fee for 14th Conference on Electronic Monitoring and more. >> Read here
Recap
Prison
CEP at the 2026 European Symposium on Detention Houses
28/04/2026
On 21–22 April 2026, CEP participated in the 2026 European Symposium on Detention Houses organised by RESCALED in Tirana, Albania.
Held under the theme “Sustainability and Justice”, the Symposium focused on promoting detention houses as a sustainable and humane alternative to large-scale prison institutions, bringing together justice practitioners from across Europe to discuss innovative approaches to detention and reintegration.
Recap
Education and Training
Recap: Expert Network on Education and Training in Probation Launches New Term and Sets Priorities for 2026–2028
24/04/2026
On 21 April 2026, the Education and Training Expert Network in Probation held its second online meeting, bringing together representatives from CEP member organisations and experts involved in the training of probation professionals across Europe. The meeting marked the beginning of a new working cycle for the network, under the leadership of its Chair, Cédric Le Bossé, and provided an important opportunity to collectively reflect on its future direction.
New
CEP Board
Interview with new CEP board member Eva Fernandes
23/04/2026
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!
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.