Dear EuroPris Members,

 

The French National Prison and Probation Department was back as a member in 2018.

Beyond connecting people, EuroPris draws, among its 33 members, a line linking theory and practice, ideas and experiences. EuroPris also increase awareness among the public, policy-makers and policy-takers about the many contributions of European professionals to the different debates on prison and insertion. We share the same missions and we share core principles like Human Rights, Equality and Justice. This is the strength of the organization.

It is therefore with great pride and pleasure that I am committed, as EuroPris President, to work for our shared purposes.

Caron McCaffrey was appointed Director General of the Irish Prison Service on 13 December 2018. A career in the Prison Service offers a unique opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of our prisoners and a safer community for us all.

Link to full article

In the last year an exceptional large number of new Director Generals has been appointed across Europe. This was very notably at the EuroPris AGM where they showed a significant interest in international exchange of knowledge and practices. The most recent new DG appointments in EuroPris member jurisdictions are:

Friedrich Koenig – Austria 

Ismaeli Agim – Albania

Rudy van de Voorde – Belgium

Phil Copple – England and Wales

Caron McCaffrey – Ireland 

Francesco Basentini - Italy

Gerhard Bakker – Netherlands 

Lise Sannerud – Norway 

Rómolu Mateus – Portugal 

Cristian Plesa (acting) - Romania

Stefan Strömberg (acting) – Sweden 

On 20 May the EuroPris members assembled in Ayia Napa for the 8 ^th AGM and EuroPris conference. 70 participants from 27 countries learned about the development of EuroPris as an organisation as well as our core activities. The expert groups presented their work and the participants discussed urgent matters in their jurisdictions. A new board was elected and former President Nils Öberg was thanked and acknowledged for his contributions.

At the Annual General Meeting in Cyprus the Annual Report was approved. It contains executive summaries of the activities conducted in 2018 as well as full descriptions of all EuroPris operations. It also describes the financial development of EuroPris over the past year.

Download the report  here .

To support the design of rehabilitative environments the latest report from the Real Estate expert group explores the nature of wider design evidence which should be considered in both current and future prison design. The report examines some of the most beneficial design considerations which can positively impact on and improve an individual’s mental and physical well-being and incorporates information on three recent research based case studies. 

Read more here .

Every week EuroPris received queries from member countries, and in this section we will highlight several KMS reports from the last months. Click on the link to view each KMS report:

The European Penitentiary Training Network (EPTA) project is looking for experts to participate in Special Interest Groups to map best practices, develop minimum standards and write a handbook on practical guidelines for training methodology and syllabi on a European level. In particular, professionals with expertise on the topics of managing difficult inmates and dynamic security are encouraged to apply. Deadline for applications is the 10th of June . The project will cover all costs for the participating experts.

For more information on the Special Interest Groups and how to apply click here .  

‘Staff Motivation and Retention’ is the topic of the 2019 Annual EPTA conference. From  18-20 June EPTA members from all over Europe will meet at the National School for Training of Penitentiary Agents in Târgu Ocna, Romania. In plenary sessions and workshops the participants will discuss career challenges, motivation and psychological issues of prison staff.

For further information click here.

The Council of Europe recently passed the first European guidelines regarding Recruitment, Selection, Education, Training and Professional Development of Prison and Probation Staff. The work has been conducted within the Penological Council (PC-CP) involving two experts in editing the report, Nicola Carr from Ireland and Torben Adams from Germany. 

Click here to access the guidelines.

Within the MenACE project recommendations have been developed covering aging, palliative care, and mental health issues in prison. The recommendations are one of the main results of the project together with training curricula for staff, e-learning modules and a state of the art report.

Download the recommendations and read more about the project here.