ZSPS in the development of new European penal statistics standards

A significant international meeting aimed at improving data quality and shaping the future of the Council of Europe's penal statistics (SPACE) took place at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. At the invitation of the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) and the University of Lausanne, a representative of the ZSPS General Directorate also participated.

The meeting took place with exceptionally strong international participation from delegates from 42 countries. Those present were welcomed by prominent representatives, including Hugh Chetwynd, Head of the Department for the Execution of Penal Sanctions, Louisa Riondel, Secretary of the PC-CP, and Professor Marcelo Aebi from the University of Lausanne, who highlighted the importance of participating in the collection of accurate penological data.

Professional discussions and working sessions were mainly devoted to modernizing the data publication system to increase its timeliness and real impact. Key topics included the necessary harmonization of definitions for recording imprisoned persons across European countries and finding solutions to close data gaps, for example in the areas of aging prison populations or the registration of foreign nationals. The result was an agreement on adjusting structures and expanding the categories monitored.

Participation in this forum was an important opportunity for the ZSPS representative to exchange experiences, align national procedures with European standards, and actively participate in the creation of common methodologies.

We thank the Council for Penological Co-operation and the University of Lausanne for the invitation and the opportunity to be directly involved in creating new standards for European penal statistics.

Accurate data, international cooperation, and unified standards are an important part of building a modern and effective prison system.