News
Visit to the Probation Board for Northern Ireland
On Friday, 16 May 2025, CEP Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin and CEP Policy Officer Mirka Jakesova paid a visit to the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI), one of CEP’s long-standing members since 1982. The visit marked an opportunity to strengthen ties, exchange knowledge, and highlight innovative practices within Northern Ireland’s probation services.
During the visit, CEP representatives were warmly welcomed by PBNI Chief Executive Amanda Stewart, Principal Psychologist and CEP Expert Group on Mental Health member Michael McCracken (both pictured on the left-hand side), and Assistant Director Emer Loughran (top right-hand side of the table), along with dedicated members of PBNI’s psychology team and the Aspire project which engages with young men who are at risk of becoming involved or at risk of being further involved in criminal behaviours.
This visit underscores CEP’s ongoing commitment to promoting collaboration and best practice among its member organisations across Europe, and highlights PBNI’s vital role in delivering effective, community-based rehabilitation services.
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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.
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.
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