Skip to content

Probation library

Unpacking criminal detention rules and regulations across the EU

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has updated its online criminal detention database, which includes national standards, laws, and monitoring reports on detention conditions in the EU and the UK.

The database covers: Detention conditions: cell size, sanitary conditions, solitary confinement, healthcare access, food, surveillance, and prisoner safety.
Specific groups: women, foreign nationals, vulnerable inmates, children, and young detainees.
Latest case law: from the European Court of Human Rights, the EU’s Court of Justice, and over 183 national cases.
Monitoring reports: on detention conditions in the covered countries.

Launched in 2019 to support judges and legal professionals in cross-border cases, it was last updated in 2022.

>> Access the database

 

For more information about the database see our video below.

Probation library

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit semper dalar elementum tempus hac tellus libero accumsan.

Probation Journal

Domestic violence, Gender-based violence

New evaluation on whole family approach to domestic abuse

26/11/2025

Interventions Alliance has published a new evaluation of a Hub coordinated on behalf of police forces in the south of England, focused on tackling violence against women and children through a whole family approach. The Hub supports victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and works across policing, health and social services.

Reading corner

Probation in Europe

New Release: Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance

13/11/2025

This book, Forensic Social Work – Supporting Desistance, has been released by Routledge. It is a practice-oriented resource exploring how forensic social work can support desistance and foster meaningful change in the lives of justice-involved individuals.

Reading corner

Criminal Justice

Parole Futures

18/08/2025

At a time when many parole systems are experiencing considerable strain, the aims of this collection are twofold: first, to encourage systematic and critical reflection on the rationalities, institutions and practices of parole. Second, to think big, and pose ambitious ‘what if’ questions about the possible futures of parole and prison release. Offering novel insights from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, this collection builds the case for, and then showcases, a ‘way of doing’ parole research that is global in outlook, interdisciplinary in approach and unapologetically normative in character.

Probation Journal

Violent Extremism

2025 EU Guidance document responding to the needs of victims of terorrism

23/06/2025

To mark the EU Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism on 11 March, the EU Centre of Expertise for Victims of Terrorism has published a new Guidance Document on the Needs of Victims. This document is a significant step forward in reinforcing a victim-centred approach within counter-terrorism efforts across the European Union.

 

Research

Launch of the CEP Research and Development Strategy Summary

17/06/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that the Confederation of European Probation (CEP), in cooperation with the University of Glasgow (led by CEP Honorary Member Professor Fergus McNeill), and with the support of the CEP Expert Group on Research, has produced the CEP Research and Development Strategy. We are happy to share the summary with you!

Probation Journal

Alternatives to pre-trial detention

Unpacking criminal detention rules and regulations across the EU

21/05/2025

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has updated its online criminal detention database, which includes national standards, laws, and monitoring reports on detention conditions in the EU and the UK.

Probation Journal

Technology

Is AI Putting Remote Probation Supervision at Risk Before It Even Starts?

09/04/2025

David Jackson and Jed Stone focus on the use of AI in probation and advocate for investigations to understand the opportunity, address issues and innovate for the good of all.

Probation Journal

Probation in Europe

New Executive summaries for the report on Building Probation Capacity

19/02/2025

In March 2024, we paid attention to the study of Steve Pitts and Leo Tigges about Building Probation Capacity . The executive summary of their publication is now available in French and German, including the infographic on capacity building in both languages. Later this year, translations in Italian and Spanish will also be released!

 

>> Read the translations here

Reading corner

Probation in Europe

A day in a life of a Probation Officer

10/12/2024

Is the day of a probation officer in Germany similar to the one of someone working in Romania? In the series ‘A day in the life of a probation officer’, we publish articles written by probation officers from different countries in Europe to see if their days look a like or are very different from each other.

Reading corner

Mental Health

Providing Mental Health Support to Probation – A European Perspective

10/12/2024

‘Providing Mental Health Support to Probation – A European Perspective’ by Charlie Brooker is now available. This book offers an evidence-based exploration of mental health in probation, drawing on research across 27 European countries to provide valuable insights on support mechanisms for individuals on probation.

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!