ICPA President Update - June 2026
_______________________________________________________________________
Three years ago, we committed to undertaking a Business Model Review to review where we had come as an Association and plan for the future. This review led to the development of our current Strategic Plan that provides a strong foundation for the Association as we continue to grow and expand. Now, as we move into the 2026–2027 fiscal year, our focus is clear. We are continue to consolidate our growth, expand our global reach, and ensure that ICPA membership continues to deliver clear and practical value across the globe.
This year’s Business Plan is built around key themes of connection, capability, and impact. That means continuing to grow our global membership, to deepen engagement with existing members, and to strengthening partnerships across government, social services, academia and research bodies, not for profit organizations, the private sector, and communities. It also means continuing to position ICPA as the central platform where correctional leaders, practitioners, researchers, and partners share knowledge, collaborate across borders, and translate innovation into practice.
A warm welcome to our newest members
To those who have recently joined ICPA, welcome. We are glad you are here, and we look forward to learning with you and from you. Please join me in welcoming our new members:
-
Barbados Prison Service
-
ACAIP Spain
-
St Leonard’s Society of Canada
-
National Administration of Penitentiaries, Romania
Spotlighting practice and people: South Africa and Romania
I am always excited to see what other jurisdictions are doing, and, in the last months, we have highlighted two important perspectives from our global community.
From South Africa, we have seen a correctional approach grounded in human dignity, rehabilitation, and social reintegration, with a clear focus on strengthening long term public safety by reducing reoffending. Read the full interview here.
From Romania, we have focused on the frontline reality of correctional work and the importance of staff representation, wellbeing, and safe working conditions, recognizing that strong systems depend on well supported staff. Read the full interview here.
Correctional Officers Week in May
In May, we marked Corrections Officers Week by turning attention to the steady work carried out every day behind the badge, across continents and roles. What came through in every story was a shared professionalism and a shared burden, the discipline required to maintain safety and order, the judgement required to de-escalate and respond under pressure, and the human steadiness it takes to hold the line day after day.
These recognitions matter because they tell the truth about corrections. It is not one role. It is a system of people and practices, often unseen, that determines whether our institutions are safe, lawful, and oriented toward better outcomes. Read full story here.
Advancing Rehabilitation and Reintegration: Reflections from Malta
This year’s 15th Annual General Meeting in Malta was a reminder that, while our systems and contexts may differ, the challenges we face in corrections, including the capacity pressures, staff wellbeing, safety, public confidence, and scaling what works in rehabilitation and reintegration, are shared across borders. It was a privilege to come together with colleagues from across Europe, celebrate EuroPris’ 15th anniversary, and strengthen our partnership with ICPA through a MOU that will help turn shared learning into practical, humane improvements worldwide. That same spirit of innovation and impact was reflected in the 2026 EuroPris Prison Achievement Award, awarded to Les Baumettes Prison (France) for “Les Beaux Mets - A Culinary Pathway to Rehabilitation”, a pioneering reintegration model that combines professional training, real-world customer engagement, and post-release support, demonstrating what’s possible when we invest in dignity, skills, and second chances.
Building for change through the Planning and Design Hub
I am proud of the momentum behind the ICPA Planning and Design Network and the recently re-launched Planning and Design Hub. Around the world we are seeing a shift toward spaces shaped by light, scale, and dignity. The Hub’s “Before You Begin” approach asks us to slow down long enough to interrogate necessity, clarify goals, and explore alternatives before a scope is written or a site is selected. When new facilities are required, it helps ensure decisions are evidence led, outcomes focused, and anchored in international human rights standards.
I encourage all of you to take the time to peruse the Hub and, if you have recently finished a new project, consider submitting yours to be showcased.
Webinars and year-round connection
ICPA’s value isn’t limited to a single week on the calendar - we offer online learning opportunities throughout the year.
In the coming month, we’re hosting a webinar I encourage you to register for: Transforming Corrections: Leading from the Middle Toward Vision and Mission. This session will explore how middle leaders turn strategy into day-to-day practice, and why transformation succeeds when trust, alignment, and values are modelled consistently.
Belfast 2026: registration is open
A major driver of our work remains our conference and events calendar, and I am especially looking forward to convening with you in Belfast. The 28th Annual Conference will be hosted by the Northern Ireland Prison Service under the theme Partnerships in a Modern Corrections Landscape: Responding to Increasing Growth and Complexity.
Across four days, the programme will showcase research, practice, and innovation focused on collaborative partnerships, managing prison growth, and community alternatives and reintegration. Our shared aim is to strengthen operational capacity, enhance evidence informed practice, support safer diversion and reintegration, and address the systemic drivers of growth and complexity in prison systems around the world.
We will be joined by outstanding keynote contributors including Professor Shadd Maruna, presenting Who Owns Reintegration? Collaboration, Lived Experience and Co Production of Justice Outcomes, and Professor Stuart Kinner, leading a pre-conference workshop focused on advancing global prison health data and the standards and systems needed to make that data meaningful.
Registration is available here, with early bird rates open until 14 August 2026!
Looking ahead to 2027
In 2027, we will broaden specialised learning and collaboration through two additional flagship events: the inaugural Recruit. Retain. Renew: Corrections Workforce Conference (Europe) and the second Women in Corrections Conference (WICC) in North America. In parallel, we will progress preparations for the 2027 Annual Conference in Zimbabwe, including the release of the Call for Papers.
Closing Reflections
ICPA’s impact depends on the strength of its community. Thank you for the expertise, energy, and collaboration you bring to this work. Whether you are sharing a promising practice, contributing to a network discussion, supporting colleagues, or joining us online, you are helping shape a more capable, more connected, more humane corrections landscape worldwide.
With appreciation,
David Brown,
President
International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA)