Previous Article
News
Memorandum of Understanding between CEP and the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic
On 13th June 2024, in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CEP and the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic was signed. MoU was signed by CEP Secretary General (SG) Jana Spero and Minister of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Baetov Ayaz Batyrkulovich. Ms. Ashita Mittal, Regional Representative of UNODC in Central Asia and Mr. Hans Farnhammer from the Delegation of European Union in the Kyrgyz Republic also attended the signing ceremony.
The Kyrgyz Republic is entering the fifth year of the probation institution’s establishment in the country. MoU with the CEP creates a framework for cooperation and further promotion and professionalisation of Probation Service. An important step in promoting the probation was already accomplished during the Press Briefing after the MoU signing ceremony.
Following this, the CEP Secretary General participated as a speaker and moderator at the International Probation Forum (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). The forum gathered representatives from five Central Asian Countries – Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan under the Project Just4all (co-funded by the European Union and co-funded and implemented by the UNODC in partnership with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights).
CEP SG was a panellist for „Reflection on the probation reform as one of the key constituents of the criminal justice sector reforms“ and a panellist for the topic ”Professional Capacity of Probation Service Staff’. Ms Spero moderated the topic of ”Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programmes“ where speakers from CEP member country Latvia were connected online. The representatives of CEP member country Georgia were present at the Forum and presented during the topic ”Digitalisation in the probation sector”. The Deputy Director of the Violence Prevention Network from Germany participated in the panel ”Raising awareness on probation: enhancing inter-agency cooperation and collaboration”.
During the two-day forum, participants had the chance to visit Kyrgyz Probation Service and the newly opened Situation Centre at the Ministry of Justice.

Related News
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.

Probation in Europe, Technology
Have Your Say: EU Call for Evidence on the Digitalisation of Justice (2025–2030)
18/08/2025
The European Commission has opened a Call for Evidence on the Digitalisation of Justice: 2025–2030 European Judicial Training Strategy.
Reading corner

Criminal Justice
Parole Futures
18/08/2025
At a time when many parole systems are experiencing considerable strain, the aims of this collection are twofold: first, to encourage systematic and critical reflection on the rationalities, institutions and practices of parole. Second, to think big, and pose ambitious ‘what if’ questions about the possible futures of parole and prison release. Offering novel insights from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, this collection builds the case for, and then showcases, a ‘way of doing’ parole research that is global in outlook, interdisciplinary in approach and unapologetically normative in character.
New

Probation in Europe
New Vodcast Episode: Prof. Bernd Maelicke on The Prison-Dilemma
12/08/2025
The 13th episode of Division_Y features an in-depth conversation with Prof. Bernd Maelicke, one of Germany’s most respected voices in prison and probation reform.
New

Probation outside Europe
CEP Ambassador Steve Pitts Receives Prestigious Japanese Honour
05/08/2025
We are pleased to share that CEP Ambassador Steve Pitts has been awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Government of Japan. The honour was officially presented on 25th July 2025 at a formal ceremony held at the Japanese Ambassador‘s residence in London, hosted by the Japanese Ambassador.
New

CEP Events
Mark Your Calendars: Exciting Probation Events Ahead
30/07/2025
As the season continues, we’re looking ahead to a dynamic line-up of events across Europe. From specialised workshops to international training and conferences, there’s something valuable for everyone working in probation and beyond.
New

Probation in Europe
New Vodcast Episode: Tobias Merckle on Free Forms of Juvenile Detention
12/07/2025
The 12th episode of Division_Y features an engaging discussion with Tobias Merckle, a social worker and social entrepreneur from Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
"*" indicates required fields
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.