Tbilisi Hosts 12th Forum of Confederation of European Probation

Tbilisi is hosting the 12th forum of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP), the largest probation network in Europe, the Ministry of Justice announced in a press release.

CEP, founded in 1981, is the European Union and the Council of Europe’s “spokesperson” for the probation sector. According to its website, the group aims to “promote the social inclusion of offenders through community sanctions and measures such as probation, community service, mediation and conciliation” and advocates for a pan-European network on probation issues. CEP brings together criminal justice experts from across Europe whose common concern is “how to protect society without resorting to the expense of prison.”

CEP President Gerry McNally and 50 delegates and invited guests are participating in the forum, which is being organized by the Ministry of Justice and the National Agency of Execution of Non-Custodial Sentences and Probation in cooperation with CEP.

The “International Conference on Social Work in Eurasian Countries” presents an opportunity for attendees to get information on the current state of the probation systems and exchange knowledge and experience. This February, the Ministry of Justice approved the Strategy of Penitentiary and Crime Prevention Systems and 2019-2020 Action Plan to better comply with European and international standards in respect to prisoners and their human rights.

“The reforms in our system constitute the most important achievements of cooperation between the EU and Georgia in the criminal justice system in recent years,” the Ministry of Justice statement reads.

By Lucy Papachristou

Photo Source: Ministry of Justice