Skip to content

News

Second World Congress for Community Volunteers supporting offender reintegration

The Second World Congress for Community Volunteers (WCCV) builds on the 1st World Congress for Community Volunteers held as part of the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Kyoto, Japan, in 2021. Inspired by the powerful contribution of volunteer Hogoshi in Japan, this Second World Congress for Community Volunteers Supporting Offender Reintegration (the 2nd WCCV) aims to showcase, explore, and advance the work of volunteers around the world.

 

Led by the Rehabilitation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice of Japan, with a welcome keynote by CEP Ambassador Steve Pitts, Dr. Frank Porporino will moderate an interactive panel-audience discussion on 17 April, during the 6th World Congress (16-18 April), in The Hague (Registration deadline 1st March, Last few days to register!). The event will bring together speakers from countries and regions as diverse as Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, the USA, Kenya, and Europe. The panel will share examples of the many varied and important roles undertaken by volunteers who provide a bridge between statutory services and communities, help “demystify” probation and parole work, and fulfil the vital task of engaging community support in reintegration. Volunteers work as good neighbours to support desistance and human potential and ultimately help build safer societies.

The 2nd WCCV will focus sharply on the needs of volunteers and how we can more strongly support them. Those needs include training and recognition, managing challenges involved in recruiting and sustaining volunteers, in developing and disseminating their work, and in cultivating further public understanding and engagement in reintegration. The panel of distinguished speakers will include:

  • Mr. Shoji IMAFUKU Japan
  • Mr. Clement Okech – Kenya
  • Ms. Karen LEE – Singapore
  • Mr. Ruangsak Suwaree – Thailand
  • Dr. Andrew Watson – UK
  • Ms. Diane Williams – USA
  • (Speaker TBC) – Netherlands
  • (Speaker TBC) – Canada

To encourage and recognise volunteers worldwide, the 2nd WCCV will propose a Declaration to establish an annual volunteer day to help foster, extend, and sustain the role and contribution of community volunteers globally.

the 2nd WCCV is also aligned with the goals of the CoPPer project, which aims to promote the active engagement of citizens, civil society, and social partners in the social inclusion of people who commit crimes. The CoPPer project seeks to ensure that we all play our role as key guarantors of a common European culture of rule of law, common values, democracy, freedom, security, and prosperity. to learn more about CoPPer, go to the website and one of CEP’s projects.

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.

Recap

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. 

New

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.

More info

 

 

 

 

 

Recap

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).

New

CEP

Newsletter October 2026 out now

29/10/2026

New

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.

Recap

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!