News
Recap: Workshop on Caseload and Workload
On 27 and 28 May 2026, Bucharest hosted the CEP Workshop on Caseload and Workload: Supporting Sustainable Probation Through the Human Dimension. With 40 participants representing 18 European jurisdictions, as well as delegates from South Korea, the workshop offered opportunities to exchange knowledge and develop strategies to manage the increasing caseload and workload in probation. Designed as an interactive space, it provided participants – practitioners, managers, researchers and experts – with reflections on current pressures within probation services and it explored practical, evidence‑informed solutions from across Europe.
The two-day workshop was opened by the Deputy Director Diana Mustatea and CEP Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin, who stressed the importance of a coordinated, evidence-based approach to addressing caseload and workload issues in probation. The continuing programme, combined with a research perspective presented by Prof. Christian Ghanem, who raised the question of how many cases are too many, has been raised since the very early stages of probation as a profession, yet has never been answered in a consistent way. Marian Badea, Prof. Ioan Durnescu and Liliana Lupsica then presented on the Romanian national and international practices. This included an analysis of probation counsellors’ perceptions in Romania, the impact of organisational policies and practices on workload, and findings from a pan-European study on staff morale and burnout.
Vesna Zelic Ferencic, together with Marian Badea, introduced the Guidelines on Caseload and Workload (to be published in June 2026), concluding with a presentation of a roadmap for designing an effective caseload and workload model. As a follow-up, Aleksandra Kerna presented a practical example of how workload is approached in Latvia, which is also reflected in the Guidelines.
The afternoon interactive sessions included a roundtable moderated by Joachim Tein, focusing on the daily work of probation officers, including tasks, responsibilities, and the division of work. Experiences were shared by colleagues from Romania (Alexandra Belsiun Tomulescu), Latvia (Sintija Stivrina), and France (Marie-Sophie Biggio).
The final panel session explored how different models operate in practice across European jurisdictions, featuring examples from Flanders, Belgium (Ben van Heesch), Sweden (Ida Ulveryd), and England and Wales (Ian Barrow and Jon Matthews).
On Day 2, participants had a unique opportunity to engage with the topic through six different scenarios, each addressing specific challenges related to caseload and workload in the Practice Labs. The workshop concluded with an Idea Wall session, gathering participants’ feedback and forward-looking ideas to support the future development of sustainable probation practice.
The workshop was organised in cooperation with the National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania and CEP Expert Group on Caseload and Workload.
Report
The report will be available soon.
Presentations
Understanding Caseload and Workload: Research perspective
by Prof. Christian Ghanem, Technical University of Nuremberg, Germany
Caseload and Workload: Human Dimension in Probation in the Romanian and International Practices
by Prof. Ioan Durnescu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Caseload and Workload: Human Dimension in Probation in the Romanian and International Practices by Marian Badea, National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania
by Liliana Lupsica, National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania
Caseload and Workload: Human Dimension in Probation in the Romanian and International Practices
by Marian Badea, National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania
Designing a Caseload and Workload model
by Vesna Zelic Ferencic, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Croatia and Marian Badea, National Probation Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Romania
Measuring Caseload Effectively
by Aleksandra Kerna, State Probation Service of Latvia
How to handle too much? – Swedish perspective
by Ida Ulveryd, Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Sweden
Practice Example: Case Flanders
by Ben van Heesch, Probation Agency, Flanders-Belgium
Caseload and Workload: Case England and Wales
by Ian Barrow and Jon Matthews, HMPPS, England and Wales
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.
Framework Decisions
Recap: annual meeting of the Expert Network on Framework Decisions 829 and 947
09/11/2026
On Thursday 5 November an annual meeting of the Expert Network on Framework Decisions 829 and 947 took place online. Bringing together 20 participants from 12 EU jurisdictions including representatives of the Academy of European Law and European Judicial Network, the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss current implementation challenges and identify priorities for enhancing cross-border cooperation in the application of the two Framework Decisions.Â
Education and Training, Probation in Europe
Justice programme: the judicial training call is open for applications!
09/11/2026
Are you ready to help address the training needs of justice professionals from different EU countries in the fields of civil law, criminal law and fundamental rights? This call supports cross-border training projects contributing to the effective and consistent application of EU law. In line with the new European Judicial Training Strategy, the call also supports the digitalisation of justice. Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply by 4 March 2027, 17:00 Brussels time.
CEP Board, Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation, Probation in Europe
CEP at the 16th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation
06/11/2026
From 3 to 5 November 2026, representatives of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) participated in the 16th Plenary Meeting of the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP).
CEP
Newsletter October 2026 out now
29/10/2026
CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! It includes:
- Deadline approaching for the Workshop on Technology and Alternatives to Detention
- Recap of the 14th EM and CEP Excellence Leadership Training
- New publications from Expert Groups on Technology and Expert Group on Violent Extremism
- Call for Proposals: Evaluation of CEP Expert Groups
- Engaging with Research – a new section in our newsletter
- and much more!
Violent Extremism
Understanding Youth Radicalisation: What Can Probation Services Do? | New Report from CEP’s Expert Group
27/10/2026
In recent decades, the violent radicalisation of juveniles and young adults has become a pressing concern for policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and communities worldwide. While considerable attention has been devoted to psychological vulnerabilities, socio-economic marginalisation, and community-level influences, the broader context in which violent radicalisation develops is often overlooked. At the same time, the increasing involvement of young people in violent extremist offences highlights the urgent need for effective prevention efforts. Addressing youth radicalisation has become a complex and evolving challenge for families, educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement agencies, probation services, and security authorities.
Probation in Europe
Reflections on the European Society of Criminology Conference 2026 | From Criminological Research to Probation Practice
26/10/2026
At CEP, we are fascinated by research from across Europe and beyond, and by helping it reach the people who can use it. Ruth Armstrong, CEP Research and Policy Officer, went to the 26th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (EuroCrim 2026 – Working Group on Community Sanctions and Measures) that took place in Warsaw, Poland, from 9–12 September 2026.
Against a backdrop of overcrowded prisons and net-widening (with ever more people drawn into supervision), three questions kept coming up in the research: how time shapes justice, what we mean by success, and how we define harm.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
"*" indicates required fields
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.









