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Building Restorative Probation Services – a report by Dr. Ian Marder
On June 1st 2020, HMI Probation published a short report Dr. Ian D. Marder (Lecturer in Criminology, Maynooth University, Ireland), entitled “Building Restorative Probation Services“. This report, part of the Academic Insights series, provides information about restorative justice and restorative practices that will empower probation services to support their development, both operationally and internally.
With reference to recent research and to the 2018 Council of Europe Recommendation concerning restorative justice in criminal matters, it covers:
- probation’s role in making restorative justice available, noting probation officers’ crucial role in either facilitating restorative justice or making referrals to specialist services;
- practice standards which can help ensure that restorative justice is delivered as safely and effectively as possible; and,
- how probation services can integrate restorative principles into their organisational cultures by involving stakeholders in sentence planning, rethinking the type and style of the interventions they deliver, and utilising restorative practices internally and with clients.
The paper concludes that researchers, policymakers, probation managers and practitioners, and other stakeholders, should collaborate to ensure that restorative justice is used to its full potential in the probation and criminal justice contexts.
The complete report can be downloaded here.
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09/10/2025
The 15th episode of Division_Y features Leo Tigges, a freelancing consultant and former Secretary General of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP).
In this episode, host Jo Tein (CEP board member) speaks with Leo about his professional journey and his co-authored publication with Steve Pitts on Probation Capacity Building. The discussion highlights international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategies for strengthening probation systems across Europe.
▶️ Watch the full interview (English with German subtitles) below
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CEP has released updated versions of its guides for persons under probation supervision and for probation staff, reflecting its continued commitment to cross-border cooperation in criminal justice. These revisions aim to promote broader use of Framework Decision 947, which facilitates the mutual recognition of probation measures and alternative sanctions across EU member states.
The guides are to be found here.
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Building Core Skills, Building Connections: V edition of the ITSCCS 2025 in Barcelona
03/10/2025
Barcelona was the stage for the CEP International Training School on Core Correctional Skills (ITSCCS) 2025, held from 29 September to 3 October. Over five days, the Centre d’Estudis Jurídics i Formació Especialitzada became a hub for practitioners eager to sharpen the practical tools that define effective work in the criminal justice field.
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CEP participated at the 14th Annual General Meeting of EuroPris
01/10/2025
On 23 September 2025, in Krakow, Poland, Jana Spero Kamenjarin, CEP Secretary General, participated in the 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of EuroPris.
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30th Council of Europe CDPPS Conference: Can we move away from the overuse of penal sanctions?
01/10/2025
On 24–25 September 2025, Kraków, Poland, hosted the 30th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services (CDPPS) under the theme “Can we move away from the overuse of penal sanctions?”. The event gathered high-level participants — Directors General from member and observer states and representatives of the supporting organisations.
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Governance Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms in Probation and Parole: Compare and Contrast Europe and USA
19/09/2025
Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) organized an insightful webinar that introduced the theme “Governance oversight and accountability mechanisms in Probation and Parole. Compare and contrast Europe and USA”. This event took place on Thursday, 18 September 2025.
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