Skip to content

News

Recap: 7th World Congress on Probation and Parole, day 3 and 4

Daniel, CEP Vice-President, and Nasir, head of an Indonesian probation and parole office and one of the organisers of the World Congress, reflect on days 3 and 4 of the 7th World Congress on Probation and Parole in Bali, Indonesia.

Nasir shares his perspective on organising the congress, highlighting Indonesia’s recent legal developments and the integration of a new criminal law framework. Hosting the event was both an honour and a challenge, bringing together more than 467 participants from 48 countries. The aim was to showcase progress in probation and parole and to encourage further development in this field worldwide. He expressed his gratitude for the strong international participation and hopes that attendees gained valuable insights to take back to their own countries.

Daniel reflects on the closing ceremony and workshop highlights, describing them as inspiring and powerful. With many parallel sessions, the congress offered a wide range of perspectives and discussions. He also mentions that the next World Congress on Probation and Parole will take place in Latvia in 2028.

A key discussion point during the congress was the idea of establishing a global probation organisation. While regional organisations already exist, there is ongoing debate about whether a worldwide body would add value. Daniel notes that such an initiative could strengthen collaboration, as many countries share common values and challenges in probation and parole work.

On Day 4, participants visited the narcotics prison in Bangli. Daniel and Jo reflect on this visit, noting that although the prison was built for 400 people, it currently houses around 1,000 inmates. This highlights that overcrowding is a global issue, not limited to Europe or the United States. Despite these challenges, they were impressed by the atmosphere in the facility, as well as the friendliness, commitment, and professionalism of the staff.

Nasir confirms that overcrowding remains a significant issue in Indonesia, even in one of the country’s better-equipped prisons like Bangli. Not all facilities have the same level of resources, but there is a strong commitment to making the best use of what is available, with a focus on rehabilitation, reintegration, and positive engagement with inmates.

Link to the English-language video: https://youtu.be/N1IH64ocUW4
for the German version:
day 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkMFQIKz7N8
day 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkTrcjF1Zbw

More information about the congress: https://www.wcpp2026.id/

Related News

Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.

New

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.

New
screenshot website krimdock

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.

Reading corner

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.

New

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.

New
expert network on education and training - agen 2025

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.

Probation Journal

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.)

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!