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.
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Our knowledge of Community Sanctions and Measures
Related News
Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.
Electronic monitoring, Technology
14th Electronic Monitoring Conference, Electronic Monitoring in a Changing World – Perception vs Reality
08/10/2026
On 6-8 October 2026, Antalya hosted the 14th Electronic Monitoring Conference “Electronic Monitoring in a Changing World – Perception vs Reality”. More than 350 participants coming from 30 countries across Europe and worldwide representing probation services, Ministries of Justice, victims´ services, EM providers, researchers as well as local participants representing the Turkish Prison and Probation Service gathered to discuss how electronic monitoring (EM) is understood by all stakeholders involved including the victims and the public, and how these perceptions compare to the evidence and experiences of those affected. While the gap between perception and reality in electronic monitoring has been recognised for over a decade, the rapid expansion of EM into areas such as victim protection, high-risk supervision and digital innovation has brought new challenges and questions to the forefront.
ITSCCS
Core Correctional Skills in Digital Probation: highlights from the 6th ITSCCS in Barcelona
05/10/2026
The sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills (ITSCCS) took place in Barcelona from 28 September to 2 October 2026, bringing together 26 participants for a week of learning, practical training and international exchange. Organised by the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training (CEJFE), the programme focused on “Clicks and Empathy: Core Correctional Skills in Digital Probation.”
Framework Decisions
Recap: ERA workshop on Framework Decisions 829 and 947 in Bucharest
02/10/2026
CEP Vice-President Daniel Danglades, Ambassador Gerry McNally and Policy Officer Mirka Jakesova participated in the Seminar on Framework Decisions 829 and 947 and their Impact on Alternatives in the EU organized under the EU project run by the Academy of European Law on 28-29 September in Bucharest, Romania. The seminar brought together judges, prosecutors, probation practitioners, academics, and policy experts to discuss the growing role of alternatives to detention within European criminal justice systems.
CEP
CEP and Catalan justice leaders reaffirm longstanding cooperation
29/09/2026
Representatives of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) met with senior officials from the Catalan Department of Justice and Democratic Quality in Barcelona on 28 September 2026, alongside the opening of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills. The meeting offered an opportunity to recognise a longstanding partnership and discuss its continued development.
Mental Health
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Pilot Implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum
29/09/2026
Good news for CEP members! Following requests from our members, CEP has extended the deadline to apply for the pilot implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers.
ITSCCS, Technology
6th International Training School opens in Barcelona with a focus on digital probation
28/09/2026
How can probation professionals use new technologies in their interactions while building trust, showing empathy and supporting change? This question is at the heart of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills, which opened in Barcelona on 28 September 2026.
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