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COST Action Offender Supervision in Europe 

The work of COST Action IS1106 on Offender Supervision in Europe began on 27th March 2012 at a ‘kick-off’ meeting in Brussels and it concludes with the final conference, back in Brussels, on the 11-12th March 2016. This report reflects on the achievements over the course of four years of complex, challenging, creative and highly constructive research collaboration.

 

The main objective of the Action is to exchange, increase and deepen knowledge about offender supervision in Europe, in order to understand its development in social context, how it is constructed and experienced by those involved and its impacts and consequences.

The central rationale for the work was that offender supervision in Europe has developed rapidly in scale, distribution and intensity in recent years but that the emergence of what we termed ‘mass supervision’ (i.e. in the community) had largely escaped the attention of legal scholars and social scientists more concerned with the ‘mass incarceration’ reflected in prison growth. Argument was that this represented an important analytical lacuna for law and social science. Moreover, the neglect of supervision meant that research had not delivered the knowledge urgently required to engage with political, policy and practice communities grappling with delivering justice efficiently and effectively in fiscally straitened times, and with the challenges of communicating the meaning, legitimacy and utility of supervision to an insecure public.

Our knowledge of Interagency Coorperation

When considering the rehabilitation of persons who have committed a crime resulting in imprisonment, a critical stage of the process is when they are released to the community. This is an important moment of transition when the person needs support in several areas of his/her life. Research indicates that this transition management is crucial in the rehabilitation process. Interagency cooperation is necessary to make this process successful.
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Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.

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Recap

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.

Recap

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.”

Recap

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. 

New

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.

Updated

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.

Recap

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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