APPENDIX"Strategies to Reduce Reoffending: The Outcomeof Workshop 2 of the 14th Congress on Crime
Prevention and Criminal Justice".
Discussion and Questions

Stephen Pitts
Ambassador
Confederation of European Probation
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V3.4

•
- To highlight compelling messages from thethree presentations

My Aims- To help identify supports, challenges andfurther areas for consideration in moving
forward successfully as a global community
in reducing reoffending

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RESOURCE.MATERIAL.SERIES.No..112

The Three Presentations – key messages• Reducing Reoffending: Kyoto Congress Workshop and Future Developments - Kayo Ishihara• Practice, drawn from around the world, to meet complex needs• Individualised, community-orientated, multi-partner – the “Rehabilitative Environment”• Model strategies, communication, stakeholder and public awareness• The Kyoto Crime Congress and a Decade of Action – Tom Schmid• Compelling case for change – including increased use of “SMART” community-based orders• A convincing narrative based on the universal platform of the SDGs
• Promoting the Implementation of Rehabilitative Environments in the ASEAN Region –Professor Ayaka Takai• Importance of Technical Assistance, a step-by-step approach• Jurisdictions differ in need, so do practices (RNR, strength based...)• Significance of Responsivity

Brief Agenda• Introductory remarks - aspects of global context• The CEP
• The Three Presentations• Observations on the Presentations• Moving forward globally – Gaps, Challenges,
Conclusions• Questions

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APPENDIX

Introductory Remarks• 30 years ago: UNAFEI led formulation of the Tokyo Rules• hugely important landmark in the development of community
based (alternative – or main – or SMART) sentences –• In 2021 UNAFEI led, at the Kyoto Congress – Workshop 2• brought together and highlighted leading examples, fromaround the world, of the most forward-thinking and evidencebased practice to reduce reoffending in our field –• Challenge: How do we mainstream (continually evolving): Principles,
Policy and Practice?
 ... Narrative and the SDGs, Model Strategies, a Decade of Action

5...in the intervening 30 years there have been– Many Positive Developments
we can continue to draw on in future, including (to name just a few) ...
Huge increase in our evidencebase – and understanding of how
to continue to expand theevidence base
• Outcome and process research,stakeholder reaction, service
user views (and co-production)• Practice development – focus
individuals and the environment• Rehabilitation influenced
especially by relationships ...
and importance of rehabilitativeenvironments

Role of International
Organisations• United Nations, Council ofEurope – Guidance• UN: Mandela Rules, Bangkok
Rules, Beijing Rules(commitment to diversity)• CoE: Electronic Monitoring,
Prison & Probation Staff
Recruitment and Training• SDGs – a unifying frameworkand force for good and foractionExpansion of international
collaboration – regional andglobal• World Congress on Probation hosted in London (2013), LA,Tokyo, Sydney, and forthcoming
Ottawa (2022)• Collaboration continued throughthe pandemic (although without
the richness of face-to-facecontact)• Growing policy and practiceexchange, mutual development,
technical assistance

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Whilst some developments (clearly) not so good
Rising prison populations
Especially, and perhaps evenmore surprisingly, for women.
(Positive) expansion in use ofcommunity sentences• ... but also net-widening and “mass supervision”.

Worrying trends in crime...Some gaps and questions...

• ... including data (what is provided, and impact), compelling
narratives
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Extract – Global Prison Trends 2021 – PRI - TIJ

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APPENDIX

Extract – Global Prison Trends 2021 – PRI - TIJ

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Confederation
eration of European Pro
Probation

Fo nded 1981
Founded
60 Member organisations across 40 countries
Probation agencies, Universities, NGOs, individuals, and more Affiliate organisations around the world
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Vision for Europe“To contribute to safer communities by rehabilitating andreintegrating offenders and providing the best possible
interventions to reduce offending and the impact of crime.”
CEP ... promotes pan-European cooperation including by conferences , …reports …partnering res earch,juris diction reports , digital news letter, webs ite; CEP s timulates exchange of ideas on probation in
Europe – and contributes enthus ias tically to the World Congres s on P robation!
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Presentation 1
Reducing
Reoffending:
Kyoto Congress
Workshop andFutureDevelopments –Kayo Ishihara• Keynote Speech: Professor Fergus McNeill• Panel I: Creating Rehabilitative Prison
Environments• Panel II: Community-Based Approaches that
Support Desistance• Panel III: Taking a Multifaceted Approach to
Ensure Continuous Support and Services for
Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders

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APPENDIX

Presentation 1
Reducing
Reoffending:
Kyoto Congress
Workshop andFutureDevelopments –Kayo Ishihara

Conclusions• Reducing reoffending is critical for inclusive societies - SDGs
• Recommendations for Future – including• Rehabilitative environments (Prisons – and community)• Resources and realism!
• Public Awareness and Volunteers• Diversity, gender-focused, restorative• Statistics, causes, solutions, evidence
Model strategies to reduce reoffending• The Key: Overarching approach, rehabilitative environments
throughout, continuity of interventions and support, multistakeholder and community-based approach

13• The practices and conclusions regarding ways
forward (and developing rehabilitativeenvironments and supporting desistance inparticular), require professionals and communities,
in all its facets, to work together in a variety ofcomplex, evolving and mutually understood ways:

Presentation
1
Observations• “Desistance – a natural process which is bigger
than professional practice ... But can be supported
by policy and practice”*• What is or are the role(s) of prison and probation
services in facilitating this complex interaction?
 A case for convincing narrative backed by data Policy influence and practice collaboration
 “Supervision as Mediation”**(McNeill 2020)

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The Desistance Paradigm – Understanding desistance(and implications for policy and practice)
Maturation

Places,Access toSpaces,
VenuesRoutines
designed for
wider communities

Desistance
Narrative
Identities

Taking time including support
after supervision ends

Social
Bonds

Especiallynon-offenders

Describing self as member of a
Community rather than offender“Desistance – A natural process which is bigger than professional practice... but can be supported by policy and practice”
Quotation and illustration adapted from Fergus McNeill - “Supervision as Mediation” - On-line ICPA Learning Academy, Nov. 2020.

Presentation 2 –The Kyoto Crime
Congress and a
Decade of Action
to 2030 – Tom
SchmidThe Sustainable Development Goals are an
unprecedented platform to advocate for change inthe way we – as a global community – view,interact with and support offenders on their paths
towards desistance from crime
It’s up to us to frame the narrative and drive change.
Sustainable development-a three-dimensional operational framework of theUnited Nations that pursues:i.
Economic developmentii.
Social developmentiii.
Environmental development
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Presentation 2– The Kyoto
Crime Congress
and a Decade of
Action to 2030

Imprisonment as a less desirable alternative to community sentences• POINT 4: Non-custodial measures are the “smarter option” andenhance public safety• POINT 6: “Whole of society” approach to
reducing reoffending (development led)

Decade of Action –Model Strategies ,Development Agenda ,Adoption of 2030 Agenda• POINT 7: Government led but
community/volunteer driven (“partnershipby design”)

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Presentation2
Observations• The SDGs undoubtedly provide a platform for
how we view, interact with and support
offenders – and for changing all three.
• Reducing Reoffending is critical for inclusive
societies - SDGs
• The SDGs provide a critical framework forreducing reoffending• Communicating the principles is critical tosuccess...
• ...as is turning them into action – in thepolitical, public and practice domains• Are there models that demonstrate“interdependency” in practice?
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Connecting desistance support and the SDGs in practice: Some examples,but most are mainly prison-based!

Presentation2
Observations• CLINK Charity (UK) - The Clink Restaurant approach includes
realistic prison work experience (hospitality, horticulture,sustainability), community mentor support, links with industry
employers. Circa 100,000 members of the public have dined inprison-located restaurants (all of which have been voted No. 1 on
TripAdvisor), helping to change public perceptions and attitudes
towards prisoners and reintegration – 65.6% Reduced Reoffending• ICRC - Panama - Turning a problem into an opportunity inprisons -“EcoSolidos” The 4 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Resocialise) 90% waste reused by prisoners, bricks sold, gardens –food grown, and forestation – “Sowing Peace” programme• A community-based example: Kenya – Probation and After Care
Service: Community Service. Environmentally and sustainably
friendly, SDG supporting, gender-sensitive female-specific,
Empowerment projects.
• Is Community Service work a (largely) undeveloped area of
potential?
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Presentation 3
Promoting the
Implementation of
Rehabilitative
Environments in the
ASEAN Region
Professor TAKAI
Ayaka(A) Progressive Development in the ASEAN Region... a “step by step” approach... with international support... differing jurisdiction needs and priorities... and different practice approaches (RNR, GLM)
(B) Four aspects of Rehabilitative Environments
1. Active use of Non-custodial Measures
2. Evidence-based interventions responding toindividuals’ specific needs (RNA) (Also Good Lives
Model)
3. Continuity of care and support (CARE)
Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Exoffenders (CARE) Network
4. Multi-stakeholder approach
All aspects make their essential contribution to
Rehabilitative Environments...

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APPENDIX• Approaches to developing rehabilitative environments - addressed in the context
of Technical Assistance.
• Importance of Responding to need and to difference

Presentation
3Observations• Technical Assistance is a still-developing field - especially in the area of probationwork• Solving local problems seems to work better than importing “ready-madesolutions” (unless there is adequate groundwork to help ensure suitability tocontext and resources)• Policy transfer, policy exchange, or a “partnership”? We all bring something
to the table• Transfer of principles (of effective practice) and know-how; “What wastransferred ... was knowledge*”.
• (Sometimes) a discrepancy between international standards and national
priorities• To what extent are there global justice “solutions”? When should we think
and work regionally (is there a “regional criminology”?) or nationally? What
does an appreciation of Decolonialisation offer?
• Inter-regional learning and transfer• Mult-directional, e.g., to the West including from Asia. Examples: emphasis
on importance of communities, role and value of a strong volunteer
movement (VPOs in Japan), the value of Restorative Practices and otherforms of Alternative Dispute Resolution*Durnescu, I., Haines, K. (2012). Probation in Romania: Archaeology of a Partnership.

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British Journal of Criminology 52(5):889-907

Moving Forward- Gaps andChallenges

Leaving no-one behind“We need to stop justpulling people out of
the river... We need to
go upstream and findout why they’re fallingin (Desmond Tutu)”• Redress balance of custodial and community sentences• Address use of pre-trial detention, sentence length, parole• Continue to improve reintegration and desistance support• Also, attention to vulnerability including mental health, anddiversity (individuals and communities) - Responsivity• Working effectively with challenging offences and offenders• Attending to staff (number, training) and infrastructure• Utilize technology as a complement to support desistance• Improve global and regional statistics, data, knowledge of what ishappening on the ground, and evidence• Continue to improve opportunities to learn from and support eachother – globally – and through regional networking• Embracing principles informed by the the SDGs and approaches
including restorative, support desistance, victims and communities• Do so while responding to (and helping to address) global
challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and migrations

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Moving Forward
Conclusions“We need a

Declaration of Interdependance”(John Kennedy
1962)

The three presentations, and the workshop
they report on, distil much of the essence ofwhat needs to be done in the present
decade - a roadmap to reduce reoffending:Defining principles with universal
recognition (which the SDGs inform)
Framing convincing narratives based ondata/evidence
Engaging stakeholders and the public indelivering interconnected policy andpractice that benefit us all and leave noone behind
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Questions - 1
Rehabilitative environments and communities require multistakeholder understanding and “buy-in”, as does acceptance of least
restrictive penalty and proportionality – including use of “SMART”
community sentences. Communication matters: What are some of
the key messages about our work and the importance of community
engagement that we can offer to increase public awareness andstakeholder buy-in? Do the messages differ according to theaudience (including prosecutors and judges)?

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Questions - 2
Building on the platform of the SDGs, and taking into account economic, socialand environmental development, how can we most effectively frame thenarrative and drive change for custodial and community-sentenced offenders inways that empower, support desistance, and involve whole societies (including
offenders) in building sustainable and safer communities? Can (the still relativelyfew) prison-based sustainability or empowerment initiatives be extended tocommunity sentences? Will approaches differ according to factors such as region,
jurisdiction stage of development, or wealth?
The SDGs provide a platform for how we view, interact with, and support
offenders – and for changing all three. Do we have grounds for optimism?

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Questions - 3a) Does Covid-19 provide an upside - a possibility of “Building Back
Better”? If so, how?
b) Can evolving technology - used more during the pandemic - beused positively, including to assist rehabilitation?

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Questions - 4
What does a step-by-step approach to technical assistance mean inpractice? How are the most useful steps (acceptable to all parties
including the recipient jurisdiction) identified and prioritized in a
specific country or jurisdiction? How can a regional network assist?

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www.cep probation.org
www.cep-probation.org
info@cep-probation.org@CEP probation@CEPprobation

CEP Probation
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