Volunteering in Probation: Insights from the CBO Summit

At the CBO Summit last Thursday 23rd October we heard from panel discussions on a variety of topics of relevance and interest to those working in the criminal justice sector.

One panel discussion in the afternoon was on the topic of Volunteerism in Probation. This panel included Tony Swaine, Senior Probation Officer with the Irish Probation Service, Dr Katharina Swirak, Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Department of Sociology and Criminology at University College Cork, Alan Quinn, Southern Regional Manager with Le Chéile Mentoring and Michael E. Daly, Co-ordinator of the Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) programme with Pace.

Tony and Katharina are both involved with the European CoPPer Project - Cooperation to Promote a European Volunteering Programme in Probation Services. They spoke about the work of the CoPPer Project, with Katharina discussing her evidence review on volunteering in probation. 

Alan and Michael spoke of the role of volunteers in their respective services. They outlined the skills and value volunteers bring to working with probation clients to support community building and social inclusion. 

The panel discussion was very well received by those in attendance who had an opportunity to hear about the CoPPer Project, as well as the vital and impactful role volunteers play in supporting the work of Community Based Organisations and the Probation Service.