2018 started with a new member joining the Expert Group: Tijs Bagchus, Netherlands, strategic management advisor for Prisons and Immigration Detention. The group now has members representing eight European countries. The Group is now planning a workshop in Utrecht on 9-10 October building on our successful workshops in Bruges (2016) and London (2014). We will bring together practitioners, policy makers, voluntary groups and universities.

The programme contains prominent key note speakers who will discuss on current issues and good practice from across Europe. Contact the Group coordinator (e-mail below) if you, or others known to you, would be interested in presenting at the workshop. Registration details to follow on the EuroPris website and mailings.

The expert group met last in Brussels in November where group members also attended the final Conference of the Foriner Project. EuroPris and CEP were associated partners of this innovative project co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ programme which piloted models for providing distance education to foreign national prisoners in Europe. The project devised a ‘Foriner Model’ for delivering distance education for foreign national prisoners which will be promoted by the European Prison Education Association and the Expert Group, see http://www.foriner.com/

The Group’s initiative to collate and disseminate good practice examples for working with foreign prisoners referencing the Council of Europe’s Recommendations 2012(12) progresses well with a grant from the Economic & Social Research Council through Nottingham Universities IMPACT Leaders Programme.  Access to the ‘Good Practice Manual’ will be further developed by creating an E-Learning training module through collaboration with the Council of Europe’s Human Rights National Implementation Division’s Unit (HELP). Our current good practice examples will be incorporated into an interactive, accessible training module. We are still looking for good practice examples for working with foreign prisoners continue for inclusion in this expanded resource for prison and probation, please contact the Expert Group Coordinator, [email protected]