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Building Restorative Probation Services – a report by Dr. Ian Marder
On June 1st 2020, HMI Probation published a short report Dr. Ian D. Marder (Lecturer in Criminology, Maynooth University, Ireland), entitled “Building Restorative Probation Services“. This report, part of the Academic Insights series, provides information about restorative justice and restorative practices that will empower probation services to support their development, both operationally and internally.
With reference to recent research and to the 2018 Council of Europe Recommendation concerning restorative justice in criminal matters, it covers:
- probation’s role in making restorative justice available, noting probation officers’ crucial role in either facilitating restorative justice or making referrals to specialist services;
- practice standards which can help ensure that restorative justice is delivered as safely and effectively as possible; and,
- how probation services can integrate restorative principles into their organisational cultures by involving stakeholders in sentence planning, rethinking the type and style of the interventions they deliver, and utilising restorative practices internally and with clients.
The paper concludes that researchers, policymakers, probation managers and practitioners, and other stakeholders, should collaborate to ensure that restorative justice is used to its full potential in the probation and criminal justice contexts.
The complete report can be downloaded here.
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 17 April – International Day for Community Volunteers!
Today, we celebrate the inaugural International Day for Community Volunteers Supporting Offender Reintegration—a day dedicated to acknowledging the vital contributions of volunteers who assist individuals in their journey back into society.​
This initiative was launched during the 2nd World Congress for Community Volunteers, held alongside the 6th World Congress on Parole and Probation in The Hague (16–18 April 2024).​
At CEP, we’re proud to support the official Declaration on the International Day for Community Volunteers. We’re also actively involved in the CoPPer project—a European initiative aimed at promoting community participation in probation services. CoPPer focuses on training volunteers to support individuals under supervision, helping them access education, employment, and community connections. ​
Hear from our Secretary General in this video, sharing why this day and the CoPPer project matter:
A heartfelt thank you to all the community volunteers out there—your dedication makes a real difference.​
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