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Response of CEP to Green Paper on detention

Publication date: 25-2-2012

Article:

In 2011 the European Commission issued a Green Paper on the application of EU criminal justice legislation in the field of detention and opened a consultation round for actors and stakeholders in this field. Many of CEP's members, and the probation sector in general, are closely related to the prison sector. It is for this reason that CEP has responded to the Green Paper.

CEP confirmed what was outlined in the Green Paper  that that big differences in Europe exist with regard to the detention situation in the different jurisdictions, and cooperation is necessary to achieve a common standard or practice. This is one of the reasons that CEP has supported the establishment of EuroPris, the European professional organisation for the prison sector, and other European organisations in the field of criminal justice. Non-custodial sanctions, resettlement activities and activities in the framework of victim support and restorative justice are essential in the process to reducing recidivism and the current prison overcrowding. CEP also advocates that the Commission should continue with publishing prison population figures of its Member States. The comparable figures may stimulate Member States to try to perform better by implementing best practices aiming to decrease the duration of pre-trial detention, or by starting to cooperate more with countries where large numbers of Foreign National Prisoners originate.

The Green Paper and the responses from authorities, NGO's (i.a. the response of CEP) and others can be found on the EC's website.