Projects
CoPPer Project
The Cooperation to Promote a European Volunteering Programme in Probation Services (CoPPer) project aims to create and improve social models that support the values of European unity and solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It responds to the EU Strategic Agenda 2019-2024 by promoting the active engagement of citizens and civil society as supporters in the social inclusion of offenders and ensuring that we all play our role as key guarantors of a common European culture of the rule of law and democracy.
CoPPer’s main idea is to increase community participation as a vital element that can enhance the work of probation staff in supporting these often low-qualified adults to pursue education, training and employment opportunities once outside prison or while serving community sanctions. The project proposes to train volunteers in the community to provide informal support, advice and guidance to probationers. They can act as a stepping stone for the probationers’ social reintegration by motivating them for behaviour change, helping them enhance their competencies, access to adult education opportunities, look for a job, or just represent a pro-social model.
Criminal justice systems (CJS) have a complex mission: rehabilitation and resettlement of offenders. In the pursuit of their mission, the CJS should be knowledgeable and open to the importance of partnerships and inter-agency cooperation with community-based organisations (UNODC, 2012). This priority responds to the CoE’s Guidelines (2019) on recruitment, selection, education, training and professional development of prison and probation staff, to the CoE’ Probation Rules (2010), and the Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)3 on the European Rules on community sanctions & measures.
The Tokyo Rules encourage public participation in community-based interventions, stressing the importance of the role of volunteers in boosting “offenders and their families to develop meaningful ties with the community and a broader sphere of contact by providing counseling and other appropriate forms of assistance according to their capacity and the offenders’ needs” (rule 19.2). Also it responds to the 2021-2024 European judicial training strategy, promoting cross-border network, participation in training and upscaling the digitalisation of justice (through blended-learning training).
website: www.copper-initiative.com
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On 6 November 2025, the CoPPer Final Project Conference took place at Het Nutshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands, marking a milestone in European cooperation and innovation in the field of probation. The event brought together 66 participants representing jurisdictions from Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Estonia, as well as Türkiye and Japan, a clear sign of the growing international interest in the CoPPer project and its outcomes. Read more
Agreement Number: 2022-1-NL01-KA220-ADU-000089938
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
Partner organisations
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Related News
Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.
Victims rights
Adoption of the revised Victims’ Rights Directive and call for evidence on EU strategy on victims’ rights
05/08/2026
The Council of the European Union has formally approved a new directive strengthening the rights of victims of crime across the EU. The updated law improves access to information, support, and protection by introducing an EU-wide victim support helpline (116 006), making it easier to report crimes through digital tools, strengthening safeguards for victims’ personal data, expanding child-friendly support services, improving access to legal aid, and helping ensure that victims receive compensation more quickly.
This directive updates the 2012 EU Victims’ Rights Directive and aims to ensure that victims receive more consistent and effective support across all Member States. Following its publication in the Official Journal, Member States will have 24 months to transpose the new rules into national law. For more information, see the Council of the European Union’s press release: Council greenlights law reinforcing protection of victims’ rights and check out the revised Victims’ Rights.
juvenile offenders, Probation in Europe
Overview of Probation Procedures for Juveniles and Adults in Albania
22/07/2026
The Albanian Probation Service plays an important role in the implementation of alternative sanctions and measures for both juveniles and adults. Through supervision, assessment, and rehabilitation-oriented interventions, the Service aims to support compliance with court decisions, reduce the risk of reoffending, and promote the successful reintegration of individuals into society.
Community Sanctions and Measures
Nelson Mandela day
18/07/2026
Nelson Mandela Day reminds us that justice is not only about accountability – it is also about hope. Mandela believed in the dignity of every person and in the possibility of change. These principles are at the heart of probation.
Across Europe, probation professionals work every day to support people in taking responsibility for their actions, rebuilding their lives and successfully reintegrating into their communities. By promoting rehabilitation, social inclusion and human dignity, probation helps reduce reoffending and contributes to safer, more resilient societies.
CEP
Meet Ruth Armstrong, CEP’s new Research Policy Officer
14/07/2026
In early July 2026, Ruth Armstrong joined CEP as a Research Policy Officer. This is a new part-time role supporting the implementation of CEP’s Research and Development Strategy. Working with the Secretary General and the Expert Group on Research, Ruth will coordinate CEP’s research activities, exploring and building partnerships in research between academics and practitioners across Probation in Europe where members access, question and use evidence in their everyday work.
CJPE summer course, Gender-based violence
She Matters: Advancing Gender-Responsive Criminal Justice Through Cross-Sector Learning in Barcelona.
13/07/2026
From 7 to 10 July 2026, more than 60 criminal justice professionals from across Europe and beyond gathered in Barcelona for the 8th Criminal Justice Platform Europe (CJPE) Summer Course, hosted by the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training (CEJFE) of the Government of Catalonia. Bringing together professionals from probation, restorative justice and prisons, the Summer Course once again demonstrated the unique value of cross-sector learning, international cooperation and professional exchange.
Probation in Europe
Dohľad
08/07/2026
The authentic world of probation and mediation, in which professional work intersects with human destinies, is brought to you by the publication through case studies revealing the diverse life stories of convicts and the dynamics of their relationship with probation and mediation officers.
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