The DOMICE Project

In 2008 the Justice, Freedom & Security Directorate of the European Commission invited applications for criminal justice projects, making specific reference to Case Management.

The lead partner, the National Offender Management Service for England & Wales (NOMS), was keen to run a project focusing on case management in correctional systems, a comparatively under-studied area of criminal justice practice. 

Four other jurisdictions - Bulgaria, Catalonia, Denmark and The Netherlands - and CEP, the European Organisation for Probation, joined the partnership. Research and publication capability was provided by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck College and the Centre of Economic and Social Inclusion, both in London.

The essence of the project was to improve the understanding of case management approaches to correctional work across Europe and to exchange promising practice. Improved understanding will be important to the successful implementation of the Framework Decision on the transfer of non-custodial sentences.

The project started in September 2009 and ended in November 2011. 

The unique focus of DOMICE was upon the case management of adult offenders across the whole of any correctional jurisdiction. That is, it was to try to understand the case management arrangements as an offender would experience them, making his/her way through the system, rather than from the perspective of the probation service, prison service or any other provider of services.