Previous Article
News
Technology in Probation Expert Meeting: presentations now available!
On the 3rd and 4th of September 2018, sixteen participants from seven European countries gathered in Helsinki, Finland for the CEP Technology in Probation Expert Meeting. The participants exchanged their knowledge on important technology topics and there was also time for good discussions. The meeting was co-organised by the Finnish Criminal Sanctions Agency.
A lot of new and inspiring technologies are under development within Europe. At the same time there is a lot of discussion around the topics security and ethics. These topics were also part of discussion during the Expert Meeting. The Finish Director General Mr. Esa Vesterbacka visited the meeting and stated the fact that technology can be a good tool in the work with clients, but the face-to-face meeting are still the most powerful tool.
New technologies
The amount of participant that are creating apps is high. The apps produced by Northern Ireland, Finland and Sweden al have the goal to support the offenders in their rehabilitation process.
Another technical innovation was presented by the Dutch Probation Service: the alcoholmeter. This is an ankle bracelet that is able to measure if the offender drinks alcohol and the amount of alcohol that is in their blood. The Netherlands is also experimenting with the use of artificial intelligence. This technique will provide the probation officers with analyses based on big data. This gives them the opportunity to compare their professional judgement with analysis based on similar cases from the past.
The Swedish Probation service, not only presented their app, but also showed the participants how they use Skype in their probation services. The geographical distances in in the northern part of Sweden make it hard for clients to visit the Probation office as often as they should. Not all the meetings are replaces by Skype calls. They are combined with meetings at the probation office.
Presentations
Presentation Pia Andersson ‘The Finnish Probation Service and its development work’
Presentation Pauli Nieminen ‘Development of Services and Service Charts’
Presentation Gail McGreevy ‘Supporting Engagement with Service Users; Changing Lives App’
Presentation Coki Jannsen and Anne Hoeksema ‘Alcoholmeter 2018’
Presentation Emīls Kālis ‘Computerized Adaptive Testing Environment for Clients’
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
Probation in Europe
New Vodcast Episode: Anke Spoorendonk on the Role of Probation in Justice Policy
21/05/2026
The 20th episode of Division_Y features Anke Spoorendonk, former State Minister of Justice in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, representing the Danish minority party SSW.
New
Mental Health
CEP publishes European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Staff and launches Pilot Implementation Initiative
19/05/2026
In this article, you can explore the newly published European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers, learn about the call for a national pilot implementation, and find details about the upcoming webinar on 21 May presenting the curriculum modules.
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
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.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.