Save the Date: EPTA Conference 2023 |
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The next EPTA conference 2023 will take place in Tallinn, Estonia on September 26-27 on the following topic: “Lessons Learned: Overcoming Teaching Challenges – Strategies and Solutions for Effective Education”. The conference will be kindly hosted by the holding presidency, College of Justice, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences.
The aim of this year’s conference is to find solutions to the biggest challenges penitentiary training academies face. Learning and teaching are multifaceted processes. Academies must constantly find new solutions to reach students and provide them with quality education. Additionally, this encompasses future skills. This requires tools and resources, as well as skills, knowledge, the right direction, mindset, and the ability to use different methods.
That is why it was decided to make workshops the main part of this year’s conference, where EPTA members can find solutions and learn from each other with the help of specialists. An email will be sent to EPTA members with more information.
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EPTA secretariat periodically receives queries, and in this section, we will highlight the latest KMS reports. Click on the link to view responses:
Would you like to send a survey to your peers at 36 training academies across borders? Contact the EPTA secretariat at secretariat@epta.info.
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Judicial Training: Right Skills to Embrace the Digitisation of Justice |
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The European Commission has sent an invitation to EPTA members about an online conference “Judicial Training: the right skills to embrace the digitisation of Justice” that will take place on the 26-28 April 2023. The conference will focus on in-depth digitalisation of justice, one of the priorities set by the European judicial training strategy 2021-2024. It is aimed at professionals that are in charge of training for judges, prosecutors, court and prosecution office staff, lawyers, notaries, bailiffs, prison and probation staff in the EU Member States. During the specialised workshops and in the plenary, they will discuss how to upskill the “digital capacity” of justice professionals, and they will learn about the impact of digitalisation on the content of training and the training methodology itself. They will also exchange concrete training needs and experience examples of best practices.
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Register: Summer Course on
Mental Health
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The 5th edition of the International Criminal Justice Summer Course is dedicated to ‘Mental Health Issues in Criminal Justice’. Mental health problems are more prevalent among offenders than in the average population, but assessment and efficient responses and support in prison, during probation, and in restorative justice remain a field to be further developed. Characteristics of mental health issues, dealing with substance use, suicide prevention, trauma-informed practices, as well as, staff mental well-being are all topics relevant to this course. It will be a unique international opportunity to meet professionals from different disciplines of the criminal justice field (prison, probation, and restorative justice). The course will take place in Barcelona, at the Centre for Legal Studies and Specialised Training on 4-7 July.
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Assessing Psychopathy: Clinical and Forensic Applications of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) |
The Centre of legal studies and specialised training (CEJFE) in Barcelona, is organising a conference with the speaker David Kosson, a student of Robert Hare, and expert on the PCLR instrument for rehabilitation professionals, on June 12, 9:00-10.30. The conference will be on PCLR, applications and limitations in the penal context, which will be held in a hybrid way (CEJFE + Zoom).
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Cross-Border Training in 3 Countries |
As part of the EPTA II project, which is co-funded by the European Union’s Justice Programme, the EPTA network is organizing several cross-border trainings, where selected EPTA members will be hosting training for participants from other EPTA member organizations. The countries hosting are from Ireland on 'Restorative Practice', Romania on 'Hostage-taking situations in the penitentiary environment', and Croatia on 'Specifics of working with young offenders'. Registrations for these trainings are now closed.
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Manual for practitioners: Promoting
non-discrimination in the application and delivery of non-custodial sanctions and measures
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This manual aims to assist criminal justice practitioners to ensure that community-based measures are used effectively and do not discriminate against minority or marginalised groups, or those that experience vulnerability in the criminal justice system due to specific personal characteristics, backgrounds or circumstances. It highlights key international standards and practical challenges in delivering criminal sanctions and measures to individuals with mental health illness or minority background and identifies actions that can – and should – be taken by practitioners across the justice chain to support non-discrimination. The manual was developed by Penal Reform International (PRI) as part of the project promoting non-discriminatory alternatives to imprisonment across Europe.
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E-learning manuals:
Conflict Management, Protection against infectious diseases and Suicide Prevention
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Three new interactive E-learnings have been developed by the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation (SCEPP) on the topics of Conflict Management, Protection against infectious diseases and Suicide Prevention. They are freely accessible and take between 30 and 120 minutes each. They are currently available in three languages (German, French and Italian).
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Final report of the research on knowledge of, and attitudes to, mental illness in Europe |
There is a high prevalence of mental illness in probation including suicide. It is important for probation staff to recognise mental illness and to refer on to an appropriate agency once it is detected. Probation's staff knowledge about mental illness was therefore examined across Europe in this study using a well validated measure – the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS). Response rates within services and countries varied widely from 0-74%. Scores on the MHLS also varied considerably from 113-138 with an average score of 128. This overall average score is similar to other groups of the population such as university students and the clergy. There was a strong association between knowledge and confidence in working with people with a mental illness. The final report of the research produced and funded by CEP on ¨Probation officers’ knowledge of, and attitudes to, mental illness in Europe¨ is now available.
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Participate in a Survey:
SERENY Project
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The project "SERENY Strengthening approaches for the prevention of youth radicalisation in prison and probation settings " is inviting professionals to participate in a survey. The SERENY project aims to contribute to the prevention and decrease of radicalisation in European prisons by providing actionable knowledge on young adults (between the age of 18 and 29) inmates considered as vulnerable/at risk groups who could be or become radicalised and by assessing the effectiveness of existing radicalisation prevention programmes and practices. This survey will ask about perceptions and experience of your work with young people in prison. It will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The survey is available in English, Spanish, French, Slovenian, German, Italian and Albania. The Survey is open until end of April. Click on the link below to view the survey.
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Giving Back Mapping Report |
Between July 2021 and March 2022, a mapping activity was carried out by The Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), and Young Perspectives (YOPE) under the Giving Back project. In the Giving Back project, the NHC, YOPE, and Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency strive to improve the child-friendly practices of European youth justice professionals working in Juvenile Justice Facilities (JJF’s) and to stimulate child-centered learning among European Union Member States. Part of the project entailed a mapping report which found proven or promising European practices of youth participation-based training methods for professionals working in JJF’s. The first result of the mapping activity is a document that presents the outcomes of the mapping activity and can be found below:
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A meeting between EPTA Steering Committee and the EuroPris Board |
The EuroPris Board met for a round table discussion with the EPTA Steering Committee. The meeting was organised in the Ministry of Justice of Estonia in Tallinn in March. Training needs were exchanged, challenges shared, and the importance of adequate and up-to-date training of prison staff was highlighted. Moreover, the sustainability and future of the EPTA were discussed.
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Final Conference:
Prison Officers for the 21st Century
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The Prison Officer for the 21st Century Erasmus + project recently had its conference in Lisbon, Portugal where they presented project results. PO 21 aimed at creating a common well-adapted profile for Prison Officers today on a EU-level, considering the rapid contextual changes in the prison environment, which require constant adaptation and cooperation with other partners.The project sought to create a sectoral platform working towards the prospective development of a professional role (the necessary knowledge, skills and competences); the identification of skills needs, the development of training curricula and respective recognition mechanisms and its deployment. Several EPTA members attended this event, and President of EPTA 2023, Laura Kikas presented the EPTA network. Click below to read about the project results.
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EPTA Network | www.epta.info
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This project was funded by the European Union’s Justice Programme (2014-2020).
The content of this Newsflash represents only the views of the EPTA Network and is his/her sole responsibility.
The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
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