25th Council of Europe Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services (CDPPS)

9-10 November 2020

VOD links 25th CDPPS - 09.11.2020

The 25th Council of Europe Conference of the Directors of Prison and Probation Services was planned to be held in Dublin (Ireland) on 9-10 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and worldwide, the Conference was rescheduled instead to be held on 9-10 November 2020 by video conference (with a live webcast) to deal with the topic: “COVID-19: CHALLENGES, LESSONS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE”.

The participants were able to follow the event by videoconference with online interpretation in English and French.

During the opening plenary session, the participants were familiarised with the revised European Prison Rules and marked the 10th anniversary of the Council of Europe Probation Rules. During the workshops which followed, the audience discussed the measures which had to be taken by the prison and probation services respectively in the different Council of Europe member States, the managerial and sanitary decisions, their implementation in practice and the lessons learned in the past months. The participants considered which steps are needed in the future to prevent and deal with similar situations, in full respect of rule of law and human rights as enshrined in the Council of Europe key standards and principles.

The Conference was broadcasted live and attended by about 300 participants, including high-ranking representatives of the prison and probation services of the Council of Europe member and observer States, international organisations, as well as renowned experts and researchers working in the field of execution of penal sanctions and measures.