On 4 and 5 April, the Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division held a multilateral meeting for prison and probation practitioners from member States providing a forum for discussion and exchange of experiences in embedding Council of Europe standards in the current national policies for recruitment, training and professional development of prison and probation staff implementing penal sanctions and measures, as well as trends observed and challenges encountered.  
The participants coming from 28 countries acknowledged the importance of providing comprehensive initial and in-service training to officers working with offenders in prison and after their release. They pointed out that the major health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but also other latest developments (such as the increasing role of the artificial intelligence) require new skills from prison and probation staff. Possibilities for career development, measures to promote well-being at work as well as adequate remuneration were mentioned among other elements of human resources policy aimed at attracting and retaining workers with necessary skills and keeping them motivated. 

The participants exchanged several good practices, such as using university job fairs to advertise vacancies, providing a possibility to study for an advanced degree in correctional services, shift work as a means to balance private and professional life, allowing medical doctors to combine work in prison with private practice, or to combine final-year studies with practice in probation services – for students of medicine. Many other valuable insights gained in the course of implementation of Council of Europe cooperation projects were presented. The speakers also underlined on several occasions that apart from keeping prison and probation staff motivated, appropriate training also equips them with the knowledge they need to ensure that human rights of offenders are fully respected.

@ Council of Europe