In Europe, some 1.7 million individuals are currently serving prison sentences and another 1.7 million are under the supervision of probation services, according to the recently published Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics.
Directors of prison and probation services of the 47 Council of Europe member states are meeting in Helsinki from 17 to 18 June to discuss best practices and responses to the challenges posed by the management of prisoner and probation population, and how to increase the chances of reintegration of offenders.
The 19th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services is held under the theme “Shared goals, shared values in prison and probation”, and is organised in cooperation with the Finnish Criminal Sanctions Agency and the Ministry of Justice.
Participants are discussing, among others, the following topics:
• the right balance between control and care of prisoners and persons in probation,
• how to obtain offender engagement,
• the way in which prison and probation work can influence desistance from crime
• the need for quality evaluation in prison and probation
• how to best manage prison and probation services.
Esa Vesterbacka, Director General of the Finnish Criminal Sanctions Agency, Philippe Boillat, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, and Hans Meurisse, Director General of Belgian Prison Administration, are speaking at the opening of the conference. Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice of Finland, will be one of the keynote speakers.
