The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) is proud to announce its 27th Annual Conference and AGM, to be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from October 26 – 31, 2025, hosted by the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses, Türkiye. This year's theme is "Wellbeing in Corrections: Initiatives for Staff, Systems and Communities."
This conference is suitable for a wide range of professionals, including heads of service, policymakers, researchers, corrections practitioners, academics, lawyers, and other stakeholders involved in the field of corrections. Participants will be able to share their experiences, learn from each other, and explore new ideas and approaches to improve the quality of corrections.
The conference will cover a wide range of topics under the banner of wellbeing, including new trends and innovations, the use of technology, community-based corrections, mental health and healthcare, cohort-specific corrections, education, vocational training, and much more. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in plenary sessions, workshops, discussions, and networking events, as well as to visit correctional facilities.
The ICPA Annual Conference 2025 is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the field of corrections to come together, learn from each other, and explore new ideas and approaches to improve the quality of corrections. The conference promises to be an exciting and informative event that will provide valuable insights into the latest developments and challenges in the field.
Key Focus Areas:
- Sharing best practices in offender rehabilitation and reintegration
- Exploring technological innovations in correctional systems
- Discussing strategies for staff wellbeing and professional development
- Examining the role of corrections in community safety and social justice
What to Expect:
- Engaging presentations from global corrections experts
- Interactive workshops and panel discussions
- Networking opportunities with international colleagues
- Insights into Türkiye’s progressive correctional practices
- Cultural experiences showcasing Türkiye’s rich heritage
Registration
Conference Registration Rates:
- Member Full Conference Registration: USD $1,275
- Non-Member Full Conference Registration: USD $1,375
*The ticket fee includes access to the sessions, two coffee breaks, lunch, the ICPA Welcome Reception on Sunday, the Host Welcome Reception on Monday, and the Gala Dinner on Wednesday.
• One Day Pass: USD $375 (without Gala Dinner)
• Two-Day Pass: USD $750 (without Gala Dinner)
Group Rates for groups of 10 or more (to access these rates, please contact: [email protected]):
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Agency member group rate: USD $1,175 per person
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Non-member group rate: USD $1,235 per person
Agenda Overview
Details concerning the programme and presentations will be published as they become available. The overview of this exciting week-long event is as follows:
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Sunday 26th: Delegates Check-in / Welcome Reception/ Heads of Service Forum (Invitation only)
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Monday 27th: Opening Sessions, Plenary, Workshops, and Exhibition / Host Reception
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Tuesday 28th: Distinguished Scholar Lecture, Workshops, Exhibition / AGM and Private Sponsor Events
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Wednesday 29th: Host Country Day, Plenaries, Workshops, and Exhibition / Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner
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Thursday 30th: Plenaries, Workshops, Exhibition, and Closing Sessions
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Friday 31st: Facility Visits
Accommodation
The ICPA2025 conference will be held at the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus at Cihannüma, Saray Cd No:5, 34353 Beşiktaş, İstanbul, Türkiye. Special conference rate: Single Deluxe Room at 214 euros per night!
Book Early! Secure your spot and enjoy the perfect blend of professional development and Turkish hospitality. The special conference rate is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
We regret to inform you that the Conrad Hotel is fully booked for October 25th. For dates other than October 25th, the Conrad Hotel continues to welcome reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.
Speakers
Opening Keynote
Dr. Stephanie Covington
Wellbeing and Corrections: An Oxymoron?
Historically, criminal justice systems have been based on a foundation of punishment with the belief that punishment will change behavior. Decades of data have shown that the system as we know it does not work well. It seldom yields the desired results. Perhaps a change in focus—on wellbeing—will be the answer.This presentation defines wellbeing and discusses the barriers to wellbeing created by the system itself, as well as the barriers created by the unresolved trauma of individuals. Practical tips are explored to promote wellbeing for both staff and residents, and how to implement the three levels of trauma work: trauma informed, trauma responsive, and trauma specific. The voices of those with lived experience will also be shared as we are challenged to understand the impact of the environment on behavior and to rethink the structure of corrections.
Nelson Mandela Rules Keynote
Professor Judith Resnik
Inventing Corrections, Debating the Permissible in Punishment
Professor Resnik will chart the invention of the corrections profession that, since the 1800s, has called for improved living conditions for prisoners. For centuries, through corrections’ congresses and prison policies, legislation, and litigation, lines have been drawn between “permissible” and “impermissible” punishments. She excavates the first-ever international rules aiming to improve the treatment of prisoners, which the League of Nations adopted in 1934 as the Nazis rose to power. Her trans-Atlantic account documents the impact of World War II, the United Nations, the U.S. Civil Rights movement, and of pioneering prisoners who insisted law protected them. In 1955, the United Nations issued revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners - the first international document to speak about prisoners’ “rights” and “dignity.” The 2010 Bangkok Rules and the 2015 Nelson Mandela Rules have pushed to give meaning to those propositions, as countries grabble with millions of detained people who have health and behavioral issues. Problems of funding, safety, and well-being abound. This talk is an invitation to think about the history of punishment, which is replete with changes; punishments once common (execution, whipping, transportation) have largely been abandoned. Organizations such as ICPA are pivotal in shaping new norms. As Professor Resnik explains, appreciating the interdependency of people in and out of prisons is key. Governments committed to equality should not set out to punish by ruining people economically or physically, which harms those in detention, those staffing prisons, and the communities that all of us are in.
IACFP Distinguished Scholar
Professor David Cooke
Managing the Wicked Nature of Violence in Prison: A Look Through the PRISM
Violence risk assessment and management have improved remarkably over the past three decades. However, emphasis has been placed on the characteristics of the individual prisoner. Disturbed, disordered and distressed people are not violent merely because of who they are but also because of where they are—and how they are treated. By ignoring context, we ignore half of the equation; we overlook aspects of the problem that are often easier to manage and change than the entrenched characteristics of challenging individuals. I will discuss the origins and application of PRISM, a methodology for systematically understanding the impact of prison settings. This approach has been used in many countries and in many types of secure settings. I will describe some key lessons that can be derived from experience using this approach.
Staff Wellbeing Keynote
Transforming San Quentin Prison in California: Marshaling the Experience and Perspectives of a Multidisciplinary Advisory Council to Improve Prison Staff and Resident Health and Well-being
This presentation will describe the unique approach of the San Quentin Transformation Advisory Council, a multidisciplinary group of leaders with different professional and experiential backgrounds, including prison staff and union leaders, formerly incarcerated people, survivors of crime, prison culture change thought leaders, public heath academics, and architects with a focus on creating safe and healthy spaces who were appointed to collect recommendations and guide the dramatic transformation of San Quentin prison into a rehabilitation center. We will describe (1) the leading themes that emerged in the Advisory Councils report to optimize well-being among prison staff and residents; (2) the council’s approach to eliciting input from multiple stakeholders including community leaders and prison residents; (3) the power of a multidisciplinary approach to generating solutions to improving prison culture and (4) lessons learned that might assist others seeking to engage in a similar process.
Wellbeing in Communities Keynote
Ioan Durnescu
Preventing burnout in probation: Towards a resilient workforce through organisational strategies – Findings from a European Survey
As probation services across Europe face increasing workloads, complex client needs, and heightened exposure to secondary trauma, the risk of staff burnout has become a pressing organisational concern. This plenary presentation unveils preliminary findings from a pan-European survey conducted among Directors-General and senior management in probation, aimed at assessing how different jurisdictions are addressing burnout prevention from a systemic, organisational perspective. Drawing on Freudenberger’s seminal concept of burnout as emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion due to chronic workplace stress, the survey captures primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies adopted by probation agencies.
The presentation highlights promising practices such as structured staff wellbeing programs, confidential feedback mechanisms, horizontal and vertical communication initiatives, and access to mental health services. However, the data also reveal significant variability in policy implementation, the absence of systematic assessment tools in many jurisdictions, and limited post-trauma support for staff. By triangulating survey responses with the existing empirical literature on occupational health in criminal justice settings, we identify key organisational enablers of resilience and formulate evidence-based recommendations for probation leadership and policymakers. The findings support a shift from individual-level coping interventions toward holistic, organisational responses that embed staff wellbeing within the culture and governance of probation services. This evidence-informed agenda offers a shared platform for dialogue, innovation, and cross-jurisdictional learning across ICPA member organisations.
ICRC Keynote
Terry Hackett
Judge Raja S. Abinader
Sabila Sawadogo
Yenus Mulu Takele
Oleksandr Nikonishyn
Preserving Humanity in Crisis- Leading Correctional Systems Affected by Armed Conflict
Leading a Correctional System, delivering programs and creating an environment conducive to promoting the wellbeing of detainees and staff is a significant challenge for any head of service, let alone during a time of armed conflict within a country. With more than 130 armed conflicts waging around the world, prison services, their staff and detainees are increasingly directly impacted by the reality of war. Prison systems affected by armed conflict often operate under extreme conditions, where infrastructure damage, resource scarcity, and security concerns severely impact the wellbeing of detainees and prison staff. In such fragile environments, preserving humanity and ensuring the humane treatment and dignity of persons deprived of liberty is not only a humanitarian necessity but also a binding legal obligation under International Law. This panel will bring together the Heads of Service from Ethiopia, Lebanon, Burkina Faso and Ukraine to discuss their experience in leading a Correctional service during a time of armed conflict, how they and their staff had to adapt both professionally and personally to overcome these unprecedented challenges in order to preserve the wellbeing of detainees and prison staff. The panel, designed to be an interactive discussion with the panel members, will be moderated by the Head of Persons Deprived of Liberty Unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Facility Visits
Participants will have the exceptional opportunity to visit and observe various correctional facilities across Türkiye on 31 October. These visits are designed to provide insight into the Turkish penitentiary system, its architectural design, security measures, and rehabilitation practices. Five distinct visit groups have been organised, each assigned to a different prison facility. In addition to the main closed or high-security prison, each group will also have the chance to visit an “open prison” where a lighter regime is applied, providing a valuable perspective on alternative detention models.
Sponsorship Opportunities
As an exhibitor of the event, you can showcase your brand, products and services throughout the conference. With typical attendance levels of around 700, our delegates comprise senior decision-makers and practitioners from all sectors. Be seen by showcasing your products and services at this exciting event. Our team will be on hand to assist you in advance of the event to take advantage of the various benefits on offer.
