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EUROPRIS INTERVIEW
Marianne Vollan
Director General of the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service
EuroPris Could you tell us about your career path? Why have you chosen to work in the prison and correctional field?
Marianne Vollan
Penal law and criminal procedure have been a common thread through most of my professional life. It started with a book I wrote in my last year as a student, about compensation for victims of violent and sexual offences. After my graduation, I started a long-term relationship with the Ministry of Justice, where I started in the Department of Legislation - the Penal Law Section. Later in my career, I served as a judge in the Court of Appeal. Six years ago, I was so fortunate to move on to the final step of the penal chain: Correctional service and the execution of punishment. I have had various leading positions for more than eight years.
How a country deals with offenders and also with victims of crime says a lot about its values. Our mission in the Correctional service is to ensure safety and security, and to reduce recidivism. Our ambition is to motivate the convicted persons to choose a crime-free life after release.
How many Prison establishments do you oversee?
Approximately 50 prison establishments. In addition there are 17 probation offices in almost 40 locations in Norway. I am very pleased with the Norwegian "combined" model, where the prison and probation field are parts of the same service.
How many prisoners are in prison at the moment in Norway?
About 3800...click here to read the full interview
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EUROPRIS NEWS
Welcome new members 
EuroPris is a membership organisation that is established to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and good practices between European Prison services. The more European Prison Services have joined our organisation the more information and knowledge we can share with each other. In 2014 we had Prison Services of 19 jurisdictions that joined us. And we had a positive start in 2015 with three new EuroPris members. We would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome the Prison services of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Georgia as new members of EuroPris in 2015. We are looking forward to a fruitful cooperation with all existing and new members.
Global Corrections Digital Technology Conference
EuroPris in cooperation with ICPA and CEP will organise on 27-29th May 2015 the first Global Corrections Digital Technology Conference, 'Technology in Corrections: Challenges for the Future' and will be hosted by the Justice Department, Government of Catalonia.
The aims of the conference:
1) Challenge the private sector to develop innovative digital solutions for use in corrections to address issues facing prisons and probation today;
2) Provide networking opportunities for technology experts in the corrections arena;
3) To promote the use and implementation of advanced Digital Technology Solutions in corrections.
VIEW DRAFT PROGRAMME
Registration and payment should be completed in advance at www.corrections-technology.com.
For more information email [email protected]
4th EuroPris Conference and Annual General Meeting
The National Administration of Penitentiaries Romania together with EuroPris will host the 4th EuroPris Conference and Annual General Meeting on 8 June 2015 in Bucharest. Recent developments in Europe demonstrate the ever growing importance to work together and to address problems jointly. The half-day Conference will focus on two issues that are currently high on the agenda of Europe: the implementation of the Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA on the transfer of prisoners and prevention of radicalization in prisons. Based on experts presentations a panel discussion with the audience on these issues will take place. The conference is open to all interested parties. In the afternoon of the 8th the Annual General Meeting of EuroPris will take place.
The draft agenda and logistic information can be found on the EuroPris website.
The EuroPris event will be followed by the 20th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services on 9 and 10th June also in Bucharest.
Transfer of Norwegian Prisoners to the Netherlands 
The Dutch Secretary for Security and Justice, Fred Teeven, and the Norwegian M
inister of Justice, Anders Anundsen, have agreed that the first Norwegian prisoners will be transferred to the Netherlands already on 1st September 2015. The parliaments of both countries still need to approve this agreement. EuroPris was present at the signing of the agreement on 2 March in Veenhuizen, Netherlands. Once the agreement has been ratified, 242 Norwegian prisoners will be placed at the Norgerhaven site of the detention centre in Veenhuizen
. [Read more]
8th PC-CP Meeting 
The Council for Penological Cooperation (PCCP) had its 8th meeting of the PCCP working group in Strasbourg from 4 - 6 February. The main topics on the agenda were radicalization in prisons, implementation of recommendations and preparation of the Annual Conference of Prison and Probation Directors (CDPPS). The Committee of Ministers has requested the PCCP to develop recommendations on the the role prison and probation services can play in dealing with violent extremism and radicalization which lead to terrorism. These recommendations will be in draft presented at the CDPPS in Bucharest 9 & 10th June and finalized until the plenary PCCP meeting in November. The meeting notes and draft agenda can be found under this link. Summary meeting report can be downloaded here.
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PROJECT NEWS
How does the prison of the future look like?
 That is the main question in the European project Prison of the Future. An additional question is to get insight into alternatives to regular imprisonment in different countries and to assess cross-national alternatives. What can we learn from the present and the past and what kind of realistic future options of our prisons can be developed? The project Prisons of the Future started in April 2014. Project partners are coming from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands and the European Probation Organisation CEP as well as EuroPris. The first working session took place in October 2014. We informed each other about current trends in our countries with regards to prison and probation practices. The presentations are written down in draft versions of papers. At the end of the project, April 2016, the final papers will be published in the final conference book.
[Read more]
STEPS 2 Resettlement Project
 The STEPS2 project board had a meeting on 5 and 6th March at the office of the Italian project partner - the University of Brescia. In the past month interviews were conducted with Romanian prisoners before and after their transfer from Italy and Spain to Romania. Also, a meeting with representatives of Competent Authorities of the three countries took place to evaluate actual transfer cases and learn from their experiences. In order to support the lack of information, one of the main obstacles for prisoners, a template for a handbook is developed by the project. The report of this transfer cases, the template and other project documents will be published later on the EuroPris website. [Read more]
See also Rapid literature assessment on Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA of 27 November 2008 on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgements in criminal matters imposing custodial sentences or measures involving deprivation of liberty for the purpose of their enforcement in the European Union.
Supervising Matters Related to Detention
This second seminar in a series co-funded by the European Commission will focus on the work of the Council of Europe and international bodies in improving conditions related to detention.
Download the programme.
Key topics:
- Work of the Council of Europe and its European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) in the field of detention
- The Council of Europe's legal body of recommendations, conventions and resolutions, in particular the European Prison Rules
- UN Optional Protocol against Torture (OPCAT) and national preventative mechanisms
- Alternatives to imprisonment, actions on improving detention conditions and improving coordination of prison monitoring among key actors
More information on the project here.
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EUROPRIS EXPERT GROUPS
Foreign National Prisoners Expert Group Meeting 
Two events with a focus on Foreign Nationals took place in Amersfoort, The Netherlands in February. On 12 February the 10th Anniversary of the organisation Education behind Foreign Bars was celebrated with an international conference. The next day the EuroPris/CEP expert group on Foreign National Prisoners held an expert meeting to establish a focus and plan their activities for 2015. [Read more]
Expert Group Meeting on EU Victims Directive
 The three partners of the Criminal Justice Platform (EuroPris, CEP, EFRJ) organized on 11 and 12 March an expert meeting on the implementation of the EU Victims Directive in the Centre for Legal Studies in Barcelona. Experts from the field of Restorative Justice, Probation and Prison from 6 countries and representatives of the European Commission discussed the issues they were facing in the implementation and presented steps and tools that supported this process. The Directive covers practical, emotional and legal aspects in the protection of and support to Victims of crime. Most challenging is the fact that a cultural shift needs to be accomplished by all the actors in the criminal justice chain who are dealing directly or indirectly with victims. View the Criminal Justice Platform Press Release. Click here for the informal notes of the meeting - next months the official meeting summary and later a detailed report will be published in the EuroPris newsletter and on the website.
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PRESSROOM
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TO GET THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN PRISON AND CORRECTIONAL ARENA
JOIN US ON:
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| Why Prison Radio Works
March feature article
March's feature article is an interview by Vivette Wadey (NOMS) with Siobhann Tigne, Head of Prison Radio
The Prison Radio Association is a charity that has revolutionised prisoner communication in England and Wales. Here, Siobhann Tigne, Head of Prison Radio interviewed by Vivette Wadey (NOMS) talks about why prison radio works.
National Prison Radio (NPR), made by prisoners for prisoners. Since NPR started in 2009 it's covered all the most pressing issues to do with imprisonment such as relationship building, addiction and literacy. The objective of NPR is to give listeners the information and support they need to stop re-offending and improve their lives when they're released. The prisoners who make the radio programmes aren't there to become radio stars, although a few ex-offenders have successfully carved out a career in the extremely competitive UK media industry. What's more important is that the experience of making radio programmes helps to improve literacy and communication, as well as develop critical transferable skills which will be useful in any work environment. It's a fantastic confidence boost too. [read article]
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
- 12-19 April, 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Doha, Qatar;
- 13-14 April, The York Resilience Programme, Amsterdam, Netherlands;
- 22-26 April, 9th Meeting of the PC-CP Working Group, Strasbourg, France;
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7-8 May, ERA Project Conference The supervision of matters related to detention: the Council of Europe and international bodies' work in improving conditions, Strasbourg, France;
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8 May, Conference on Prevention of Torture in Europe, The Hague, Netherlands;
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13-14 May, Annual Conference 2015 Victims of Crime in Europe: the future is now, Lisbon, Portugal;
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21-22 May, ERA Countering Radicalisation towards Terrorism and Violent Extremism, Trier, Germany;
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22 May, Children of Prisoners Europe Annual Conference, Stockholm, Sweden;
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28-29 May, Global Corrections Digital Technology Conference, Barcelona, Spain;
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4-5 June, Prisons of the Future project work session, Beveren, Belgium;
- 8 June, 4th EuroPris Conference and AGM, Bucharest, Romania
- 9-10 June, 20th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services, Bucharest, Romania;
- 14-17 July, 2nd World Congress on Probation, Los Angeles, USA;
- 30 September-3 October, European Prison Education Association Annual Conference, Antwerp, Belgium;
- 15-16 October, ERA Project Conference The improvement of conditions relating to detention at an EU level: best practice, legislation and the European Commission's Green Paper on detention, Strasbourg, France;
- 25-30 October, ICPA Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia
- 10-11 December, EuroPris/CEP Education and Staff Training Workshop, Dublin, Ireland.
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