Interview with new CEP board member Nicola Carr

Can you shortly introduce yourself? 

My name is Nicola Carr, I am a Professor of Criminology based at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. I am the editor of the Probation Journal, and an editorial board member of the Irish Probation Journal. Before becoming an academic I trained and worked as a probation officer in London. In my current role, I research different aspects of probation and community sanctions and measures. I am particularly interested in how practitioners interpret and carry out their roles and how people subject to supervision experience this.

Why did you decide to run for the CEP Board?

I have followed the work of CEP for many years and have been involved in some CEP-run events in the past. I think it is an excellent organization that makes an important contribution to debates about the purposes of probation. I also like the fact of being involved in an organization that has a wide reach across Europe.

How would you like to contribute to the development of CEP in the upcoming three years and what impact do you hope to have on CEP? 

I am particularly interested in research, education and training, and I would very much like to contribute to these areas in the coming three years. It would be great to see CEP developing its research capacity, and its role in bringing research to wider audiences.

What are your main priorities/topics you would like to open while serving as the CEP Board member and how would you like to make use of your knowledge to the development of CEP?

I would be great to see the CEP developing its research capacity. The CEP is an important network for probation in Europe and it has the potential to facilitate and contribute to comparative research. I hope to contribute to the development of CEP’s research agenda and to its wider aims.

What are the challenges that lie ahead of CEP in the future? 

It would be great to see the CEP expand its reach by raising awareness of its role amongst practitioners working in probation services in Europe. There are challenges in advocating for the role of probation while also encouraging them to be used sparingly in order to avoid net-widening effects.