ICPA 2026 Call for Papers - Partnerships in a Modern Corrections Landscape: Responding to Increasing Growth and Complexity
Corrections systems around the world are facing unprecedented pressure. The number of people in custody and under community supervision continues to rise, as well as the complexity of their cases, background histories, risk and needs. Addressing these challenges requires innovative and evidence informed responses that draw on the strengths of government agencies, academia, not-for-profit organisations, the private sector, and the community at large itself.
Correctional agencies deliver services within complex, interconnected systems where social, physical, and environmental factors interact to affect community and staff safety, rehabilitation outcomes, and operational risks and costs. Achieving optimal outcomes in each of these areas will not occur by correctional agencies acting alone. An ecosystem approach, which values collaboration and partnership with a broad spectrum of community actors, is required.
To better understand the opportunities and challenges presented by such partnerships, ICPA invites submissions for its 28th Annual Conference, “Partnerships in a Modern Corrections Landscape”. ICPA 2026 will explore how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen operational capacity, enhance evidence-informed practice, support safer diversion and reintegration, and address the systemic drivers of growth and complexity in prison systems across the world.
We welcome contributions from practitioners, researchers, policymakers, people with lived experience, NGOs, private sector partners, and others committed to advancing humane and effective corrections.
Across four days, the programme will explore three core sub-themes: collaborative partnerships, community-based alternatives and reintegration, and managing incarcerated population growth and complexity. In considering these sub-themes, the programme committee encourages submissions that consider good practice, research that speaks to practice, innovation, lived experience, and the enablers for improved practice.
Sub-Themes
1. Collaborative Partnerships
Under sub-theme one, Collaborative Partnerships, presentations should consider how corrections can strengthen outcomes through meaningful collaboration across systems and sectors.
The Programme Committee encourages submissions related to:
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Partnerships between the academic sector and providers from all sectors that advance research, evaluation, and long-term evidence building.
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The lived experience, research, and practice of people impacted by the justice system, their families, and their communities, including victims and victims’ rights groups.
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Cross-sector collaboration the NFP/NGO sector to support service delivery, innovation, and rehabilitation outcomes.
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Partnerships with private industry that support innovative practice and improve outcomes for people impacted by the criminal justice system.
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Collaboration within the justice sector to improve efficiency of courts and information sharing leading to better intelligence products and improved law enforcement outcomes.
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Inter-agency partnerships with government sectors such as health, housing, education, child protection, and immigration to address shared drivers of offending and reoffending.
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Inter-jurisdictional partnerships that share best practice models, training and tools.
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Effective volunteering strategies that leverage the skills, commitment and generosity of citizens to address gaps in service delivery and normalise the custodial environment through increased transparency and community participation.
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Justice–health partnerships that integrate health services across custodial and community settings, supporting continuity of care and better outcomes for people in the justice system.
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System-level enablers of effective partnership, including coordinated service pathways, governance frameworks, technology and data-sharing arrangements, and co-design approaches.
2. Community Alternatives and Reintegration
Under sub-theme three, Community Alternatives and Reintegration, presentations should explore services that expand and strengthen non-custodial responses and reintegration pathways to reduce reliance on imprisonment and enhance community safety.
The Programme Committee encourages submissions related to:
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Innovative approaches to community-based alternatives, including pre-arrest and post-arrest diversion, probation, parole, conditional release, and electronic monitoring that enhance outcomes and reduce reliance on incarceration.
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Diversion across the justice continuum, including pre-charge, pre-trial, and post-sentence diversion models that redirect individuals away from custody and into community-based, therapeutic, or restorative responses, with demonstrated impacts on public safety, equity, and reduced system demand.
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Research or practice that strengthens community supervision, including effective models, workforce capability, use of technology, and improvements to risk and needs assessment.
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Evidence-informed resettlement strategies, spanning housing, employment, cultural identity, family connections, social support, and partnerships with NGOs, community services, and lived-experience organisations.
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System enablers for safe and effective community corrections, including data integration, digital tools, coordinated service pathways, and workforce and organisational development.
3. Managing Prison Growth and Complexity
Under sub-theme two, Managing Prison Growth and Complexity, presentations should consider the drivers of growth and complexity within prison and community corrections systems, and explore population reduction strategies that enable safe, humane, and sustainable correctional responses with a particular focus on the way collaboration can assist to understand and mitigate these issues.
The Programme Committee encourages submissions related to:
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Drivers of population growth, including law enforcement, arrest, and prosecution practices, sentencing and remand trends, legislative changes, economic and demographic shifts, and the complexity of offending behaviour and its implications for case management and service delivery.
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Approaches to managing population pressures, from decarceration strategies to operational strategies in prisons and remand centres and models of care for people with complex needs (mental health, neurodiversity, substance use, disability, trauma).
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Data and analytical tools that enhance planning, forecasting, demand management, and resource allocation.
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Innovations and enablers, including infrastructure and technology solutions, design improvements, and workforce and organisational strategies that strengthen system capacity.
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Innovative research or practice addressing the multifaceted nature of offending and its implications for assessment, classification, case management, programme delivery, and health responses.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions can be presentations, active workshops, panel discussions, and posters and will be selected based on their quality and relevance to the conference themes. Submissions should include references to research, data, evidence, and lived experience where available.
We welcome submissions from practitioners, academics, researchers, justice officials, individuals with lived experience, international organizations, and others engaged in correctional services who are contributing to the future directions of corrections. Please note that private organisations are strongly encouraged to consider co-presenting with their public sector partners where appropriate.
The ICPA Programme Committee aims to maximise regional diversity among speakers. As part of this approach, multiple submissions from the same individual or organisation may be limited or combined into a smaller number of presentations.
In responding to this call for papers, submissions must:
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Align with at least one of the conference themes.
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Include speaker and co-speaker biographies and photos, an abstract, and an abstract overview.
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Include at least three questions for discussions.
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Ensure any references to research or outcomes includes sources.
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Be non-commercial/non-product focused.
When submitting the abstract, please specify the theme and type of session you would consider submitting. Please note that you may be offered a presentation type that is different from that which you requested.
The call for papers will close on Sunday 3 May, 11:59pm CET.
Should you need additional information, please email us: [email protected].
Types of Presentations
ICPA 2026 will offer a variety of presentation formats to support different kinds of contributions and encourage engagement across disciplines:
- Plenary presentations, keynote sessions delivered to all attendees (45–60 minutes), typically by leading researchers, senior practitioners, or collaborative panels addressing strategic issues.
- Workshops (30–45 minutes), designed to share research findings, innovative practice, or case studies in an engaging and accessible way.
- Panel discussions (30–60 minutes), featuring multiple presenters offering different perspectives on a common topic, followed by moderated discussion or audience Q&A.
- Posters that allow students and emerging researchers an opportunity to connect with attendees from across the conference.
- Showcase sessions that allow presenters to speak in a more informal setting to all participants during conference breaks. This format is especially targeted at NGOs, NFPs, and the discussion of specific projects and programs.
When submitting an abstract, applicants will be asked to indicate their preferred presentation format/s. Please note that final format assignments will be made by the Programme Committee based on content, balance, and overall program structure.
Key Dates
- Abstract Submission Deadline: 3 May 2026
- Notification of Acceptance (Round One): 1 June 2026
- Notification of Acceptance (Round Two): 12 July 2026
- Conference Dates: 25 - 30 October 2026