On 9th December CEP organized a second seminar in the Framework of the HELP project (Radicalisation Prevention, Judicial Response to Terrorism & International Cooperation in Criminal Matters’ (HELP RP-TERR-ICCM).
The event addressed the key issues of rehabilitation and building up working relationships, and participants were introduced into these topics by three excellent presenters: Mr. Robert Örell (independent expert and co-chair of the RAN rehabilitation working group, Sweden), Ms. Saray Valdivieso (prison psychologist, Spain Catalonia) and Professor Ioan Durnescu (University of Bucharest, Romania). Also Eva Massa from the Council of Europe took the floor to tell the audience about the HELP project in general.
Since the beginning of 2020 CEP is partner in the so-called HELP project, led by the Council of Europe. The European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) often work together in the area of criminal matters. Considering the global nature of the cross-border crime, an effective response to such a challenge, while respecting human rights and allowing citizens to live in an area of freedom, security and justice, requires intense international cooperation. In this regard, it is essential to improve the coordination of investigations and prosecutions and the cooperation between the competent authorities in the Member States, particularly by facilitating the execution of international mutual legal assistance requests and the implementation of extradition requests.
The project’s main objective is to improve justice cooperation in criminal matters and to contribute to the effective and coherent application of related European instruments through increasing capacities and mutual trust of justice practitioners. The emphasis is on transnational cooperation and the following priorities: mutual recognition of instruments; judicial responses to terrorism, notably on reinforcing the prevention of radicalisation, especially in prisons; issues related to pre-trial detention, in particular raising awareness of case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); the functioning of European and other international Treaties/legal instruments on international co-operation in criminal matters.
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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.
