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Expert group

Mental Health

European probation services nowadays are faced with large numbers of people with mental health problems. Research has shown that the prevalence of various mental health problems among probationers is relatively high when compared to the general population. It is important to identify those who are sentenced for other crimes, but possibly have mental health problems. It is also essential that mental health needs of people who have offended are given a higher priority in terms of service delivery, education, staff straining and research, because working on mental health issues is also a way of reducing crime and especially recidivism.

The group

Through the expert group on mental health in probation we want to:

raise awareness about mental health needs of people who have offended in probation;
increase knowledge in dealing with mental health issues in probation;
promote co-operation and the exchange of information between national and international organisations and groups that are working in the field of mental health;
liaise with state and non-governmental bodies as well as other experts who provide support for rehabilitation;
contribute to the training to improve work regarding mental health;
be an information resource on mental health in probation for benefit of CEP members and other relevant parties.

Members

Cristina Pestana (Chair)

DGRPS, Portugal

Eoin Ryan

Irish Probation Service

Duygu Altin

Yalova Probation Service, Turkey

Yvonne Morick

Probation Service, Germany - Freiburg

Angel Genov Topkarov

Probation Service, Bulgaria

Maja Zawadzka

University of Justice, Poland

Michael McCracken

Probation Board for Nothern Ireland

Sara Arata

Italian Probation Service – Ministry of Justice

Speakers

Cristina Pestana (Chair)

DGRPS, Portugal

Eoin Ryan

Irish Probation Service

Duygu Altin

Yalova Probation Service, Turkey

Yvonne Morick

Probation Service, Germany - Freiburg

Angel Genov Topkarov

Probation Service, Bulgaria

Maja Zawadzka

University of Justice, Poland

Michael McCracken

Probation Board for Nothern Ireland

Sara Arata

Italian Probation Service – Ministry of Justice

Upcoming events

Interested in joining us for an event? Check out our upcoming gatherings

This event is upon invitation only
Expert group meeting

Expert Group on Mental Health

13 Nov 2025
online
more coming soon
This event is upon invitation only

Past events

Interested in our past events? Or would you like to relive the highlights? Check out all our past events here

CEP Expert Group meeting on Mental Health in Probation

26 Nov 2024

Fifth CEP expert group meeting

18 Apr 2023

Fourth CEP expert group meeting

06 Apr 2022

Third (online) expert group meeting 2021

27 Jan 2021

Second (online) expert group meeting 2020

04 Nov 2020

First CEP expert group meeting 2019

12 Feb 2019

Our knowledge of Mental Health

European probation and prison services are nowadays faced with large numbers of mentally ill people. The reduction of community mental health services all over Europe over the past several decades has led to the criminalisation of the mentally ill. The prevalence of various mental health problems among probationers and prisoners is considerably higher than in the community. In that sense, CEP aims to share experiences and good practices between CEP-members, experts on mental health in probation, in order to improve programes, interventions and ways of working with people under probations suffering mental health problems.

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