Recap: Criminal Justice Summer Course 2025

From 1-4 July, 2025, the 7th edition of the Criminal Justice Summer Course, welcomed over 50 professionals from across Europe and beyond at CEJFE in Barcelona. Organised by the Criminal Justice Platform Europe, a partnership between CEP, EuroPris, and the EFRJ, the course brought together experts in probation, prison, and restorative justice to explore how professionals can drive positive, lasting change within criminal justice systems.

This year’s theme, “Strengthening the Professional Role in Criminal Justice,” came to life through three intensive and interactive workshop cycles:

• Restorative Communication Skills with Daniela Arieti,

• The Power of the Working Alliance with Dr. Sarah Lewis,

• Change and Transformation in Practice with Maciej Kalaman.

Participants rotated through each workshop, gaining practical tools to enhance communication, build trust, and promote systemic transformation—from deepening professional self-awareness to navigating complex relationships and institutional cultures.

Inspiring plenary sessions added further dimension to the experience. Jemuel Lampe, founder of Zuivere Koffie, shared a powerful story of reintegration and entrepreneurship. Kjersti Simonsen introduced the innovative BRIK mapping tool, used to identify pathways for relational change in justice settings. Eduardo Santos Itoiz, former Minister of Justice in Navarra, delivered a policy-focused talk on embedding restorative justice in public systems.

Participants also had the chance to visit key institutions in Catalonia’s justice landscape, including the juvenile facility Can Llupià, Brians 1 and 2 prisons, and the City of Justice, where they explored local approaches to victim support and restorative practices.

Beyond the formal programme, the summer course offered opportunities for networking and peer exchange—whether during the welcome reception, the shared meals, or casual conversations in Barcelona’s lively summer atmosphere. These moments reinforced a shared vision: to strengthen professional identities and practices that support human dignity and lasting reintegration.

As the course concluded, participants left with renewed energy, deeper connections, and a collective commitment to promoting transformative justice within their systems and across borders.