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Miscellaneous News

Publication date: 17-12-2011

Article:

Events


CEP Seminar on pre-sentence reports and assessment (NO)
Date: 10-11 May 2012
Place: Holmenkollen Park Hotel, Oslo Norway

Pre-sentence reports are produced in 29 of 33 countries with probation organisations in Europe in various forms, according to the 2008 edition of "Probation in Europe". Yet this topic seldom is at the centre of a CEP-organised event. CEP, in collaboration with the Norwegian Correctional Services, wishes to shed some light on the issues that are on the agenda for pre-sentence work by organising a two-day seminar in Oslo, Norway.

A central question seems to be about the shift in emphasis from strongly individualised and source-based reports on the backgrounds of offenders and offences they have committed, to the risk of re-offending and the increasing use of standardised instruments to this end. In other words, a shift from advice to punishers on past, individualised and personally detailed factors to future standardised, predictive factors based on generalised research evidence. How do the probation organisation and the probation worker cope with this issue? Have they adjusted? What kind of solutions have been found in the different jurisdictions? Does it work? How do courts and prosecutors respond? Is it the right way to go?

The seminar is meant as a means of finding answers to these questions and discussing best practices, and it will have a high degree of participation. Organisations are requested to consider delegating executive workers in addition to or instead of employees at a managerial level.Participants will need to pay for their own travel expenses and accommodation, but the seminar itself, including lunches and dinner, will be free of charge. Based on the number of pre-registrations a venue will be chosen and an effort will be made to reach a good deal with a hotel in the vicinity.
Pre-registrations may be sent to gerhard.ploeg@jd.dep.no, with a copy to secr@cep-probation.org.


Conference on Women, Crime and Criminal Justice Practice: Diversity, Diversion, Desistance and Dignity (Cambridge,UK)
10 January 2012

International workshops in "Victims and restorative justice" project (The Netherlands, Finland, Austria)
28 February 2012

Conference 17th GCOCP & Annual International Forum (München, Germany)
16 -17 April 2012

Conference on innovation in criminology in the French speaking world (Montreal, Canada)13 May 2012

Seventh biennial Conference of the European Forum for Restorative Justice (Helsinki Finland)
14 June 2014

Final Conference DUTT (The Netherlands)
22 January 2013



Publications


German study on crime related costs
The Bertelsmann Foundation has published a report in its research program "The costs of inadequate education" (Folgekosten unzureichender Bildung). The study of Professor Entdorf and Philip Winner of Frankfurt University focused on the relationship between a lack of schooling and criminal behaviour, finding a strong causal link between the two factors.

Find more information on the publication on the website of DBH.

Download the report report directly through this link.





Beccaria Guidelines for systematic approaches in crime prevention
The Beccaria Guidelines offer orientation for systematic approaches to crime prevention (i.e. for planning, implementing and evaluating a project) for managers striving for high quality in their prevention work. Appropriate tools can be selected from this collection depending on the situation at hand. Included are the Step by Step Towards Success (SSTS) interactive tool, the practical guide ‘7 Steps to a successful crime prevention project' and the Beccaria-Standards, a method for project management.
These and other guidelines can be found on the Beccaria Portal.


Revolving Doors Agency report: Complex Responses
The Revolving Doors Agency (UK) reviewed research literature in an attempt to understand the many and complex reasons behind poor frontline service responses to adults with multiple needs, with a particular focus on those in contact with the criminal justice system. The initiative for the report came from its national user forum. At this forum a concern was voiced that positive policy did not always filter down into positive practice on the ground. The review was undertaken with the hope that through a better understanding of the factors that contribute to this poor service response, those involved in relevant policy-making and the commissioning, design and delivery of services will be able to improve standards of care for a vulnerable population.

Download Complex Responses (2011).





Funding


Prevention of and fight against crime Action Grants
The European Commission DG Home Affairs has issued a call that can be relevant for partners in the probation sector. The 2007-2013 programme in the Prevention of and Fight against Crime is a part of the general programme Security and Safeguarding Liberties, also called the ISEC Programme. The call lists 14 points of focus that the Action Grant can be requested for, general aim is the development of programs, tools and international cooperation. One of the priorities of the programme is the focus on projects on radicalisation leading to terrorism and the protection of victims of terrorism. Another priority is the development of multi-agency partnerships in efforts to prevent crime, including urban, juvenile, and environmental crime.

Applications have to be submitted before 24 February 2012.
The General Call can be found here.
More information on ISEC can be found on the EC's website.


Call for Daphne III Action Grants
The DG Justice of the European Commission has opened the call for the Daphne III Action Grants. Daphne III is part of the General Programme ‘Fundamental Rights and Justice', in order to contribute to the prevention and combating of violence against children young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk.

Here is a short summary:
- Action Grant
- Deadline: 29 March 2012
- Available in this fund: EUR 25 831 000
- Minimum application EUR 75 000
- Maximum length of project: 2 years - Minimum of 1 partner resides in EU (EU plus Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland)
- Maximum 80 percent of total budget
- Priorities:

• Rights of victims of violence
• Violence linked to harmful practices
• Children as victims and perpetrators of violence
• Perpetrator programmes and interventions
• Training programmes for professionals in contact with victims
• Empowerment work at grass-roots level
• Media violence, particularly violence linked to new technology and social networking tools

Download the call for further information



Call for JPEN and Daphne III Operating Grant
The DG Justice of the European Commission has opened the call for Operating Grants for organisations that envisage activities in their annual work programme that contribute to the general and specific objectives of one of the following specific programmes:
Civil Justice (JCIV),
Criminal Justice (JPEN),
DAPHNE III (DAP),
Drug Prevention and Information (DPIP),
Fundamental rights and Citizenship (FRC).

Here is a short summary:
- Operating Grant
- Deadline: 31 January 2012
- Available in this fund: EUR 8 100 000
- Maximum application: EUR 250.000
- For the financial year 2012
- Maximum 80 percent of total budget

Download the call for further information




Call for Criminal Justice Action Grants 
Within the programme "Criminal Justice" for the period 2007-2013, the DG Justice of the European Commission has opened the call regarding Action Grants for 2012. The Criminal Justice programme promotes cooperation and mutual confidence, as well as the compatibility between rules in Member States and the exchange of best practices.

Here is a short summary:
- Action Grant
- Deadline: 20 March 2012
- Available in this fund: EUR 28 950 000
- Minimum application: EUR 75 000
- Maximum length of project: 2 years
- Minimum of 1 partner resides in EU (or EU candidate)
- Maximum 80 percent of total budget
- Priorities:

• Supporting victims of crime
• Procedural and defence rights for suspected and accused persons (including legal interpretation and translation)
• European judicial training of European legal practitioners
• Networking and exchanging best practice among practitioners, including implementation of existing cooperation instruments, procedural rights, victims' rights, restorative justice, mediation and detention
• Improving conditions relating to detention
• e-Justice

Download the call for further information




Other

Construction of the CEP website on the scientific knowledge base of probation
The site will present ‘state of the art'- scientific information in the professional field of rehabilitation of offenders that is relevant to the general public, politicians, policymakers and workers in the field. This information will be presented in a question and answer format. Renowned experts worldwide provide the latest knowledge. The Utrecht University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands (HU) represented by René Butter, Jo Hermanns and Anneke Menger, organises the content of the site.

Questions

1. What we do we know about the reasons why people offend and the circumstances in which they are likely to desist / stop offending?
2. What are effective approaches to actively reduce reoffending?
3. Can investigations by probation services contribute to better sentencing decisions?
4. What do we know about the effects of punishment on reoffending?
5. What are the effects of supervision and rehabilitation by probation services on reoffending?
6. What are the strengths and drawbacks of community service?
7. What are the strengths and limitations of restorative justice?
8. What are the costs and benefits of probation?

Planning
The experts for the first two questions will be contacted still in 2011. We expect that the first results can be presented at the next symposium of ESC Community Sanctions Working Group held at the end of April 2012 in Utrecht.


Prisoners Abroad launched new website
The charity Prisoners Abroad cares for the welfare of all British prisoners held in foreign prisons. The organisation has launched a new website that has been significantly updated. The page offers a clear overview of what Prisoners Abroad is about and its requests for support.

Visit the Prisoners Abroad website to see the new web page and follow the organisation in the social media.

Both CEP and Prisoners Abroad are in the CEP Special Interest Group on Foreign Nationals, together with similar organisations. Find more information on the SIG and the SIG Business Case on the CEP website.


International Erasmus Mundus Doctorate program in Cultural and Global Criminology
The Erasmus Mundus programme of the European Commission presents the Erasmus Mundus Doctorate in Cultural and Global Criminology (DCGC). This internationally prestigious, three-year interdisciplinary program combines the expertise and strengths of four European universities with established reputations in the field of global and cultural criminology: Kent, UK; Utrecht, Netherlands; Hamburg, Germany; ELTE, Budapest.

DCGC provides students a wide range of research opportunities in  one of the following themes:
- Crime, Media, Culture,
- Criminal Justice Policy, Social Change and Exclusion,
- Globalization, Transnational Crime and Control,
- Human Rights and International Security.

Download the flyer of DCGC program
Visit the DCGC program's website