EuroPris is a non-political, non-governmental organization founded in 2011. The initiative to set up this organization was taken in 2009 during the Swedish Presidency of the European Union and was put forward by European countries representing the international organization IRCE (International Roundtable for Correctional Excellence).
Membership is open to European national prison and correctional services able and willing to support the aims and objectives of EuroPris, as well as to public authorities or organizations in the Council of Europe region that legally or statutorily ensure the operation of prisons or correctional institutions.
EuroPris brings together practitioners in the field of prisons with the specific aim of promoting ethical and rights-based imprisonment, exchanging information and providing expert assistance in support of the programme. The organization exists to improve cooperation between European prison and correctional services in order to improve the lives of prisoners and their families, promote public safety, reduce the likelihood of re-offending and encourage the development of professional practice in the field of correctional services.
The objectives of the organization are:
- to improve the operational capacity and professionalism of prisons and correctional practitioners across Europe;
- to act as a "group of experts" on prisons in Europe;
- to promote and support the development of policies and legislation relating to European prisons in accordance with the standards set by the European Union and the Council of Europe;
- assist in an advisory capacity to policy makers on prison-related issues;
- to cooperate and exchange information with other organizations working in the field of prisons and criminal justice, both within and outside Europe, in order to develop best practice in this field.
Currently, 59 organizations are represented in EuroPris. The Latvian Prison Administration has been cooperating with EuroPris since 2012 and officially became a member in 2015.
At the same time, EuroPris is working to organise the systematic exchange of information and good practice between European countries. The KMS (Knowledge Management System) provides detailed answers to specialized questions, summarizing information and avoiding repetition. EuroPris members can also ask questions of interest to their organisation.
In 2020, the Latvian Prison Administration received requests for information from 37 European countries and responded to 32 of them. For English summaries of the responses to the information requests, see the EuroPris website https://www.europris.org/epis/kms/