Skip to content

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.

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

CEP

CEP and Catalan justice leaders reaffirm longstanding cooperation

29/09/2026

Representatives of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) met with senior officials from the Catalan Department of Justice and Democratic Quality in Barcelona on 28 September 2026, alongside the opening of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills. The meeting offered an opportunity to recognise a longstanding partnership and discuss its continued development.

Updated

Mental Health

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Call for Pilot Implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum

29/09/2026

Good news for CEP members! Following requests from our members, CEP has extended the deadline to apply for the pilot implementation of the European Mental Health Training Curriculum for Probation Officers.

Recap

ITSCCS, Technology

6th International Training School opens in Barcelona with a focus on digital probation

28/09/2026

How can probation professionals use new technologies in their interactions while building trust, showing empathy and supporting change? This question is at the heart of the sixth International Training School on Core Correctional Skills, which opened in Barcelona on 28 September 2026.

Recap

Probation in Europe

CEP at 42nd PC-CP Working Group Meeting

23/09/2026

The Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) Working Group held its 42nd meeting from 15–17 September 2026 in Strasbourg. CEP was represented by Secretary General Jana Špero Kamenjarin.

New

Probation in Europe

New Division episode: Bernd Kammermeier on Supervision of Conduct

23/09/2026

The 22nd episode of Division_Y features Bernd Kammermeier from Rostock, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Bernd is a unionist, practitioner and academic expert on supervision of conduct (Führungsaufsicht) in Germany. His recent PhD thesis examines the development and legal framework of this important instrument.

Recap

CEP

CEP at Kick-off Meeting for the 2026 Operating and Action Grants

22/09/2026

On 16 and 17 October, the Project and Policy Officers of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) organised the Kick-off Meeting for the 2026 Operating and Action Grants. Opened with a video message from Commissioner McGrath, the meeting covered a range of topics related to project management, including reporting requirements and horizontal priorities such as gender mainstreaming, EU values, and the EU survey. Last but not least, participants were presented with the future developments of AgoraEU and the Justice Programmes under the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) starting in 2028. 

Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!