Getting Smart on Justice
Healing Hearts and Safer Societies
Healing Hearts and Safer Societies
The World Congress on Probation and Parole (WCPP) is held every two years. It brings together experts, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to promote and develop probation, parole, and community corrections by sharing practical, policy, and academic knowledge. The 7th edition of the WCPP will take place in Indonesia, on April 14-17, 2026.
Central theme “Getting Smart on Justice: Healing Hearts & Safer Societies”
- Getting Smart on Justice
“Getting Smart on Justice” means using probation strategies that are proven to change or deter criminal behavior effectively. We know there are efficient and cost-effective ways to address crime. As probation services worldwide, our goal is to prevent recidivism by supervising and supporting mandated clients, provide well-informed advice to judges, prosecutors, and prison authorities, and enforce community sanctions. - Healing Hearts
“Healing Hearts” applies both to our professionals and our clients. Probation officers work with both their hearts and minds. While we often emphasize the rational aspects of probation, resilience and motivation also come from the heart. For clients, “Healing Hearts” refers to restorative justice—helping victims and communities heal—as well as the personal recovery of identity and purpose. - Safer Societies
Probation work is ultimately about building safe communities. We support mandated clients in finding a sense of belonging—whether in a neighborhood, a social circle, or society at large, and by preventing reoffending. - Healing Hearts & Safer Societies
On a professional level, “Healing Hearts” and “Safer Societies” guide our approach to balancing risk and protective factors when advising and implementing community-based sanctions or measures. In supervision, they reflect the balance between support and control. In community sanctions, they highlight the importance of giving back to society while opening the door to a crime-free future.
With this in mind, we aim to benefit from the diverse perspectives on getting smart on justice: healing hearts and safer societies throughout the world. We want to learn from probation and parole in different societies, legal systems, and practices. We will therefore organize the programme around the following subthemes.
Subtheme 1: SOCIETY
This subtheme focuses on building a safe society. In probation, we work to establish mutual trust—helping society place trust in mandated clients while also supporting clients in rebuilding their trust in society. Probation serves as a bridge to social reintegration, ultimately contributing to a safer community.
Topics can be:
Framing
Creating a new narrative around the goals, methods, and value of probation, including clear definitions and language for fundamental concepts.Recalibrating the RNR Model
Exploring how probation services can adjust the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model to place less emphasis on risk and more on individual needs and responsiveness. This shift would allow for greater alignment with other models, such as desistance theories.
Subtheme 2: TECHNOLOGIES
This subtheme explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other existing or emerging technologies can be integrated into probation in a safe and meaningful way.
Topics can be:
How can professionals effectively use AI and other technologies while maintaining human rights and the human touch as the driving force? What training programs should be developed?
What impact does AI and other technologies have on probation, and how can we manage the associated risks to human rights and other implications?
How do AI trainers operate, and what can we learn from them?
What ethical guidelines exist, and should be further established for AI application and other technologies in probation?
Subtheme 3: POLITICS
This subtheme examines the influence of political developments on probation and the ongoing trust in its strong scientific foundations.
Topics can be:
Telling the story of probation from the perspectives of all those involved.
Collaborating with people who have lived experiences and professional storytellers to create compelling narratives.
Ensuring that probation’s narrative has lasting value, so it is not reactive but instead based on a strong, consistent foundation.
Establishing the universal knowledge, skills, and expertise of probation officers as a basis for professional associations.
Subtheme 4: WORKFORCE
This subtheme focuses on global labor market trends and workforce changes in probation.
Topics can be:
Strengthening the role of strategic Human Resources management in addressing current challenges in probation services.
The future of the probation profession.
Essential skills and resilience required for probation officers.
Talent acquisition strategies.
Training and professional development.
Performance management and evaluation.
Subtheme 5: COLLABORATION
This subtheme explores collaboration across different domains—including voluntary services, 3rd sector/civil society, other professions, organizations, and individuals with lived experiences. The central question is: How can we keep collaboration effective and straightforward in an increasingly complex world?
Speakers in this session are encouraged to invite collaboration partners to the next conference. To guide discussions, questions can be:
What forms of collaboration are possible?
What strategies should be implemented to foster effective partnerships?
Which collaborations are essential for probation success?
Are there any collaborations that should be approached with caution or avoided?
