International Training Workshop on Probation to be held in Malta

An International Training Workshop on Probation, co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), will take place in Malta from 2-5 July 1997. It will be held at the Foundation for International Studies with the collaboration of the Home Affairs Division of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Justice and Local Councils.

It will be opened by the Prime Minister, the Hon. Alfred Sant, on Wednesday, 2nd July, at 10.00 am. The closing address will be delivered by the Minister of Justice and Local Councils, the Hon. Charles Mangion, on Saturday, 5th July at 3.30 pm.

The Director of UNICRI, Dr Herman F.Woltring and Mr Richard Nzerem, Assistant Director of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat will also address the Workshop.

The meeting will bring together more than 60 probation and correctional officials, international experts as well as NGO representatives directly involved in the non-custodial areas of criminal justice. Participants will come from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, Australia, the Pacific Rim, North America and Malta.

This workshop will provide the necessary framework for probation to take advantage of international trends in sentencing and of the growing disillusionment with imprisonment as an effective correctional strategy. Its purpose is to give participants an opportunity to present and discuss the major international trends in the area of non-custodial sanctions, and, in particular, on probation. It will also provide capacity building and training in infrastructure development with a view to improving the credibility of probation in the eyes of the public at large and among criminal justice system personnel, as well as increaing its effectiveness and power position within range of sentencing options.

The workshop will be conducted through key note addresses by internationally renowned experts and leaders, as well as through working groups and plenary sessions. Issues to be highlighted will be related to those internal and external requisites for a credible and efficient probation system, and especially that of "what works" and the future technical co-operation agenda. There will also be a presentation of the work of the Council of Europe in the field of Probation. One of the highlights of the Workshop will be the presentation of, and discussion on, a Draft Handbook consisting of guidelines for probation practitioners and managers which has been prepared by UNICRI and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The decision to hold the meeting in Malta was taken after contacts made by Mr Justice C.A. Agius on behalf of UNICRI and the Centre for Criminology of the University of Malta with the Government.