Projects
Implementation Support for Transferring of European Probation Sentences (ISTEP)
The aim of the ISTEP project: with regard to the implementation of EU Council Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA the project aims to enhance the ability of probation agencies and sentencers within each EU Member State to understand clearly and have confidence in probation processes and procedures within each legal jurisdiction across the European Union. This is done by producing a detailed description of the suspended sentences, alternative sanctions and conditional sentences that exist within each legal jurisdiction within the European Union. In addition it is planned to hold a series of meetings in which the issues and procedures surrounding the pre and early implementation phases can be discussed and resolved by Member State representatives.
Aim of the ISTEP project: with regard to the implementation of EU Council Framework Decision 2008/947/JHA the project aims to enhance the ability of probation agencies and sentencers within each EU Member State to understand clearly and have confidence in probation processes and procedures within each legal jurisdiction across the European Union. This is done by producing a detailed description of the suspended sentences, alternative sanctions and conditional sentences that exist within each legal jurisdiction within the European Union. In addition it is planned to hold a series of meetings in which the issues and procedures surrounding the pre and early implementation phases can be discussed and resolved by Member State representatives.
Countries involved: UK, Bulgaria, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain
EU funding programme: criminal justice funding programme (JPEN)
Click on the link to read the ISTEP Handbook ‘Implementation Support for the Transfer of European Probation Sentences’
Partner organisations
Our knowledge of Framework Decisions
Related News
Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.
Mental Health
European Mental Health Week: strengthening probation practice through mental health
13/05/2026
This week, during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Confederation of European Probation is highlighting the importance of mental health in probation practice across Europe.
Probation in Europe, Research
Free Research Resource: KrimDok
12/05/2026
Looking for reliable criminological literature? KrimDok is a free online database developed by the University of Tübingen and supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The database contains nearly 400,000 references to books, journal articles, reports, and other publications covering criminology and related fields such as criminal justice, psychology, sociology, education, and law. It draws on a specialist criminology library established in 1969, with a collection of around 150,000 titles, and includes indexed articles from more than 200 academic journals.
Violent Extremism
New newsletter available: EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation
11/05/2026
The latest edition of the EU Knowledge Hub newsletter brings together policy, research, and practice to address evolving radicalisation threats across Europe.
Gender-based violence
New European Master’s Programme on Perpetrator Intervention Launched
07/05/2026
The European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (WWP EN), in collaboration with Blanquerna – Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona), has launched a pioneering new programme:
Lifelong Learning Master’s Degree in Intervention Strategies with Perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence: Social, Clinical, and Legal Perspectives
This initiative represents the first international lifelong learning Master’s programme specifically focused on perpetrator intervention, offering a unique opportunity for professionals working to address and prevent gender-based violence across Europe and beyond.
Education and Training
CEP Expert Network on Education and Training Publishes Technical Recommendations on Mentoring in Probation Training
06/05/2026
The Confederation of European Probation (CEP) is pleased to present the Technical Recommendations on Mentoring in the Context of Probation Training, developed through the work of the CEP Expert Network on Education and Training.
This publication is the result of extensive collaborative exchange among 30 experts from 15 European jurisdictions, who convened in March 2025 in Agen, France, at the École Nationale d’Administration Pénitentiaire (ENAP). Bringing together probation directors, middle managers, practitioners, and representatives from training institutions, the network worked collectively to identify shared challenges, exchange practices, and formulate practical recommendations to strengthen mentoring within probation services across Europe.
Research
What is the societal value of probation?
04/05/2026
During the CEP 15th General Assembly and International Conference on Gender-Based Violence in Probation (from 14 to 16 October 2025 in Vienna, Austria), the Dutch research group Modelling Societal Impact received the CEP Probation Research Award for their work on the societal impact of the Dutch probation services. The research has since been completed. There are multiple reports published (in Dutch) and a short videocast with English subtitles. For anyone interested, see below an oversight of the published research and relevant links to the publications and videocast.
This research may help other European countries demonstrate the added value of probation for their national context. If you would like to learn more about this, please contact: a.a.nemeth@saxion.nl (dr.ir. Attila Németh) or a.visser@saxion.nl (Anouk Visser, MSc.)
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