Corrections Careers is an European Union funded project, in which ICPA is a partner. It is looking at how we can improve the career guidance given to front line prison officers. The project is taking place with prisons in six European member states. We will ask prison officers, their managers, their families and decision makers what we could do to better support their careers in prison. Our first activity is this questionnaire, aimed to help us to understand basic needs. We will review your responses, then invite you to a stakeholder workshop in November to take a deeper look at the opportunities and the challenges. We would appreciate your taking […]
Read More‘Simply the face to face visual contact, was a very relaxed and comfortable environment for myself being at home, great idea to have this set up, hopefully this stays for future after lockdown.’ Thanks to a Scottish Prison Service (SPS) initiative, all prisoners in Scotland are keeping in touch with friends and family via Video Visits during the Covid-19 crisis. During the lockdown, all social visits to prisons in the UK have been suspended to protect the residents in care and the community from the Covid-19 threat. However, SPS management and staff understand how important it is for prisoners’ mental health and wellbeing, as well as their rehabilitation, to stay […]
Read MoreThe Criminal Sanctions Agency in Finland has a long history of reshaping prison models and implementing innovations. In an ever-increasing digital world, the agency has decided to start a project that aims at investing in inmates’ technology training. Prisoners are benefiting from IT online courses, training, and even job opportunities, where they can gain skills for the modern workplace. Read the article here: https://www-businessinsider-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.businessinsider.com/finland-prisons-technology-ai-online-classes-2020-8?amp Published on: 25 August 2020
Read MoreDr Thomas Akoensi (University of Kent) and Dr Justice Tankebe (University of Cambridge) are conducting a research project to understand how Covid-19 is affecting the work of correctional officers. There are global concerns about how the pandemic is affecting various aspects of society. However, the discussion has not been informed by research evidence on how concerns about the virus and efforts to control its spread are affecting correctional officers and how they carry out their duties. We hope, through this project, to provide crucial information to support the ongoing efforts by various correctional facilities to control the wider impact of the virus. The study will involve officers completing a short […]
Read MoreAs the ICPA’s flagship annual conference has been postponed for this year, Members may be interested to hear that the opportunity to attend our Annual General Meeting in a virtual capacity will still be possible. This of course brings the added advantage of Members being able to have their say on the Association’s business regardless of where they might be in the world. Notifications concerning the Annual General Meeting will be sent to members in August, and further updates will be provided for accessing the meeting and how to vote online should there be an election process for Board Member positions. Published on: 31 July 2020
Read MoreICPA is pleased to announce that we are in the midst of developing a Learning Academy that aims to provide a suite of services for promoting exchange and learning via online methods and platforms. Although still in a conceptual phase, the Association plans to launch the first of such services later this year involving practitioners and other interested members. For those of you who have completed the survey, you already have a hint of the topics that we are planning to discuss. We’ll provide more information on this latest initiative very soon! Published on: 31 July 2020
Read MoreBeyond the Wall is a newsletter which comprises articles, opinions, interviews, case studies, researches and best practices from contributing authors and members across our Global Corrections Community. This newsletter is for those who would like to be kept informed with information across the prisons and correctional field and to stay abreast of what’s happening in our Association. The 2020 Summer Edition of ICPA’s newsletter Beyond the Wall is now available. In this issue: Supervision Around the World (SAW) Project (USA), Changing practice in a pandemic – Community Corrections New South Wales (Australia), Sanctions and measures without deprivation of liberty increasingly used in Europe: New Survey (Europe), NIJ-Funded Research Examines What Works […]
Read MoreDear ICPA members, In these unprecedented times for our people and the correctional services worldwide, it is with a sense of duty and honor for that I have joined this July the ICPA organisation as Executive Director. To undertake this exciting new chapter of my career, I am bringing the ICPA Executive Team 25 years of experience in several management positions with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), combined with a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Psychology from McGill University. My operational background is wide, ranging from Parole Officer in the community and institution, Unit Manager, Assistant Warden of Correctional Programs/Interventions to Assistant Warden of Management Services. This […]
Read MoreFriends and colleagues of former ICPA Board Member, James Ryan were saddened to hear that, after his battle with a long illness, James passed away in May 2020. James had a distinguished career with the military before moving on to working in Australian Corrections, serving in both New South Wales Corrective Services and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). His last position was Commissioner of Corrections in the Australian Capital Territories prior to his retirement in 2011. During his tenure James oversaw several major changes in justice services which included the administration of the ageing Belconnen Remand Centre, and the establishment of the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) as the ACT’s first […]
Read MoreFinnish prisons are known for providing high-quality and stable conditions for prisoners, but they are falling behind in digitalization. The Smart Prison project (started in 2018) develops digital services for prisons and its primary mission is to introduce self-service devices in the new women’s prison opening in October 2020. The needs and opinions of both staff and prisoners regarding their current digital services and the new self-service system were studied by means of surveys and service design workshops. According to the results, more digital services are needed and both staff and prisoners have a positive attitude towards self-service devices in cells. However, concerns were raised about the security and functionality […]
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