Invitation

Saatja: "DGI-PC-CP" <[email protected]> Saaja: "DGI-PC-CP" <[email protected]> Teema: Invitation to the Meeting of the SPACE National Correspondents, 14 September 2026, Strasbourg, France / Invitation à la Réunion des correspondants nationaux SPACE, 14 septembre 2026, Strasbourg, France Kuupäev: 2026-06-26 13:24 FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE SPACE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS Copy for information to the Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe Meeting of the SPACE National Correspondents 14 September 2026 Strasbourg, France and online Dear Sir, Dear Madam, You are cordially invited to the Meeting of the National Correspondents responsible for the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (SPACE) in Strasbourg, France, on 14 September 2026. The meeting will take place in the premises of the Council of Europe and is co-organised by the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) and the SPACE team of the University of Lausanne. The official invitation letter and the Programme of the meeting are attached to this email. Relevant documents and information can be found on our <https://www.coe.int/en/web/prison/-/meeting-of-the-space-national-corresp ondents> dedicated webpage. Please inform the Secretariat of the name, position, address, telephone and e-mail address of the person(s) appointed to attend the meeting, and whether they will attend in person or online, by responding to this e-mail by Monday 31 August 2026 at the latest. Please note that the Council of Europe will bear the travel and subsistence expenses of one National Correspondent per member State. Other Correspondents may attend in person without defrayal of their expenses, or online. Best regards, The PC-CP Secretariat *** A L’ATTENTION DES CORRESPONDANTS NATIONAUX SPACE Copie pour information aux Représentations permanentes auprès du Conseil de l’Europe Réunion des correspondants nationaux SPACE 14 septembre 2026 Strasbourg, France et en ligne Chère Madame, Cher Monsieur, Vous êtes cordialement invité.e à la Réunion des correspondants nationaux responsables des Statistiques Pénales Annuelles du Conseil de l’Europe (SPACE) à Strasbourg, France, le 14 septembre 2026. La réunion se déroulera dans les locaux du Conseil de l’Europe et est co-organisée par le Conseil de coopération pénologique (PC-CP) et l’équipe SPACE de l’Université de Lausanne. Vous trouverez ci-joints la lettre d'invitation officielle ainsi que le programme de la réunion. Les documents de travail et les informations pertinents se trouvent sur notre <https://www.coe.int/fr/web/prison/-/meeting-of-the-space-national-corresp ondents> page internet dédiée. Veuillez communiquer au Secrétariat le nom, la fonction, l’adresse, le téléphone et l’adresse e-mail de la/des personne(s) désignée(s) pour participer à la réunion, et si la participation sera en présentiel ou en ligne, en répondant à cet e-mail avant le lundi 31 août 2026 au plus tard. Veuillez noter que le Conseil de l’Europe prendra en charge les frais de voyage et de séjour d’un correspondant par Etat membre. D’autres correspondants peuvent participer à la réunion sans défraiement, ou en ligne. Nous vous prions d'agréer, Chère Madame, Cher Monsieur, l'expression de nos salutations distinguées. Le Secrétariat du PC-CP Department on Deprivation of Liberty Ref ► DGI/HC/LR/cc/Invitation Letter_Meeting of the SPACE National Correspondents_14 September 2026 Strasbourg, 26 June 2026 Invitation Letter to the Meeting of the SPACE National Correspondents Dear Madam/Sir, The Secretariat of the Council of Europe has the honour to invite you to the Meeting of the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (SPACE) National Correspondents, co-organised with the SPACE team from the University of Lausanne, as follows: OPENING OF THE Monday 14 September 2026 (09:00 am) MEETING CLOSING OF THE Monday 14 September 2026 (05:30 pm) MEETING PLACE AND WORKING COUNCIL OF EUROPE LANGUAGES Room G03 Agora Building 1, Quai Jacoutot Strasbourg, France Please note that online participation to this meeting is possible. The working languages will be English and French with simultaneous interpretation provided. DEADLINE FOR Monday 31 August 2026 REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS The Programme and meeting documents are available on our dedicated webpage. DEDICATED WEBPAGE See also www.coe.int/prison (“SPACE” tab) SECRETARIAT CONTACT Secretary to the PC-CP: Assistant: Ms Louise RIONDEL Ms Christine COLEUR Tel. +33 (0)3 90 21 57 75 Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 22 69 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] COUNCIL OF EUROPE E-mail ► [email protected] Tel ► +33 (0)3 90 21 57 75 www.coe.int F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Website ► www.coe.int/prison Member States are invited to designate one or more representatives directly involved in the collection and reporting of the SPACE Statistics to attend the meeting. The Council of Europe will bear the travel and subsistence expenses of one representative for each of the 46 Member States on the terms specified in the Rules. Please note that the rate of daily allowance has been set at 199 € for 2026 (50% for hotel accommodation, 15% for each main meal and 20% for miscellaneous expenses). You are requested to arrange to travel by the cheapest route (plane in economy class) and, if possible, make use of reduced transport fares. By virtue of Article 3 of the Rules, all claims for reimbursement of travel expenses for all means of transport must be accompanied by a copy of the relevant ticket and evidence of the expenditure actually incurred, such as an invoice. In no case shall the amount reimbursed exceed the actual expenditure incurred. Other representatives may attend the meeting without defrayal of expenses or online. Please have with you a passport or identity card, this invitation letter, which you may be required to show at the entrance of the Council of Europe premises. An insurance policy taken out by the Council of Europe with the insurers AIG EUROPE (Policy number 9.502.001) covers risks related to official journeys such as medical expenses for illness, accident and medical repatriation for persons up to their 80th birthday. The following help line AIG EUROPE Assistance 24 Hours can be called in case of need: +32 2 739 9991 (EN) / +32 2 739 9990 (FR). Members are informed that they have access to the privacy notice describing the Organisation’s data protection policy (link). The Department on Deprivation of Liberty, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, is responsible for the organisation of this meeting. For further information, please contact the PC-CP Secretariat at: [email protected] 2 PC-CP (2026) 7 26/06/2026 Meeting of the SPACE National Correspondents Improving Data Quality and Shaping the Future of the Council of Europe Penal Statistics (SPACE) Programme Monday 14 September 2026 Room G03 Agora Building Council of Europe, Strasbourg Organised by the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) and the University of Lausanne E-mail: [email protected]  PC-CP (2026) 7 Background The SPACE I survey has achieved two consecutive years of 100% participation across all 51 prison administrations of the 46 Council of Europe member states. This milestone creates an opportunity to move beyond data collection and toward data quality improvement and strategic development. This meeting aims to bring together the national correspondents who make SPACE possible, to discuss practical challenges, share solutions, and shape the survey's future direction. Practical information Languages: English and French (simultaneous interpretation) Pre-meeting materials: Each correspondent will receive their country's “anomaly profile” (Session 3) two weeks before the meeting, along with a brief questionnaire on data collection practices (to inform Sessions 1 and 2). Post-meeting deliverables: Summary report with action points, revised questionnaire guidance where applicable, and updated timeline for data gap closure. Agenda 9.00 - 9.15 Welcome and opening 9.15 - 10.00 Reshaping SPACE SESSION 1: DEFINITION HARMONISATION 10.00 - 11.00 The admissions puzzle: Toward a common counting standard 11.00 - 11.30 Coffee Break 11.30 - 12.30 Classifying inmates: Pre-trial, sentenced, and everything in between 12.30 - 14.00 Lunch Break SESSION 2: CLOSING DATA GAPS 14.00 - 14.45 Foreign inmates: Closing the legal residence gap 14.45 - 15.30 Age data: Building the longitudinal foundation 15.30 - 16.00 Coffee Break SESSION 3: DATA QUALITY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS 16.00 - 16.45 Catching errors before publication: Anomaly review as part of the validation procedure 16.45 - 17.15 Looking ahead: New indicators and emerging needs 17.15 - 17.30 Closing remarks and next steps 2  PC-CP (2026) 7 9.00 - 9.15 | Welcome and opening • Welcome by the Council of Europe • Overview of the day's objectives by Marcelo F. Aebi • Brief presentation of the 2025 Key Findings: what the data tell us, where the gaps remain 9.15 - 10.00 | Reshaping SPACE Chairs: Marcelo F. Aebi / Louise Riondel Problem: The data published each year is approximately 16-18 months old (e.g. the 2025 SPACE I report published in May 2026 provides data on prison populations as of 31 January 2025 and prison movements throughout 2024). This creates an impression that the information is “outdated” and reduces the timeliness and impact of the publication. Format: Structured discussion 1. What are the barriers to the timely communication of key indicators? 2. Which indicators could be collected by the end of Q1? Desired outcome: Identification of key indicators from 31 January of year of publication which could be published by end of Q2 of the same year. The statutory deadline for publication is 31 July, as set by the Committee of Ministers. SESSION 1: DEFINITION HARMONISATION 10.00 - 11.00 | The admissions puzzle: Toward a common counting standard Chair: Marcelo F. Aebi Problem: Eight prison administrations currently use definitions of “admissions” that diverge from the SPACE I standard, requiring their exclusion from comparative flow analyses every year. This reduces the analytical power of the dataset and limits the policy conclusions that can be drawn from flow indicators. Format: Structured discussion 1. What SPACE asks for - Brief recap of the standard definition 2. What the non-standard PAs actually count - Short presentations by correspondents from Switzerland, Scotland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Czechia, Poland, and Malta explaining their national counting rules and why they differ (3 min each) 3. Bridging the gap - Facilitated discussion: Are there practical adjustments that could bring more PAs into alignment? Could supplementary data fields allow estimation of the standard indicator? Desired outcome: Identification of PAs where alignment is feasible, and a concrete action plan for achieving it. Where alignment is not possible, agreement on supplementary data that would allow estimation. 3  PC-CP (2026) 7 11.30 - 12.30 | Classifying inmates: Pre-trial, sentenced, and everything in between Chair: Edoardo Cocco Problem: Countries differ significantly in how they classify inmates as “pre-trial” or “sentenced”. Some reclassify detainees as sentenced immediately after first-instance conviction; others wait until final judgment. This variation directly affects the comparability of pre-trial detention rates, which is a politically sensitive indicator. Format: Working groups by legal tradition • Group A: Countries using the “final sentence” criterion • Group B: Countries using the “first conviction” criterion • Group C: Countries with other systems Each group maps out exactly when reclassification occurs in their system, then presents to the plenary (10 min per group). Followed by facilitated discussion on whether a harmonised definition is achievable, or whether a dual-reporting system (both classifications) is preferable (30 min). Reference document: Table 8 of the SPACE I report (classification systems by country) Desired outcome: A clearer mapping of national practices and, ideally, agreement on a standardised reporting protocol or a dual-classification approach SESSION 2: CLOSING DATA GAPS 14.00 - 14.45 | Foreign inmates: Closing the legal residence gap Chair: Marcelo F. Aebi Problem: Only 16 of 51 prison administrations provided data on the legal residence status of foreign inmates. This is arguably the single most important missing variable for interpreting the foreign inmate data: without it, the category “foreign inmates” conflates settled immigrants with tourists, undocumented migrants, and transnational offenders - a confusion with significant policy and political implications. Format: Problem-solving session 1. Why is this data missing? - Quick poll of correspondents: Is the data not collected at all? Collected but not in a compatible format? Collected but access is restricted? 2. Models that work - Presentations by correspondents from PAs that do report this data: What does your system look like? How is residence status recorded at intake? 3. Feasibility assessment - For PAs that don't currently report: What would it take to start? What are the legal, technical, or administrative barriers? 4. Action plan - Identification of “quick wins” (PAs that have the data but don't report it) vs. longer-term development needs Desired outcome: A realistic roadmap for increasing coverage from 16 PAs to at least 25-30 within two survey cycles. 4  PC-CP (2026) 7 14.45 - 15.30 | Age data: Building the longitudinal foundation Chair: Edoardo Cocco Problem: SPACE I began collecting disaggregated age data in 2020 and expanded the categories in 2024. Coverage is improving (41 PAs for average age, 44 for the 65+ category) but remains incomplete. With the aging prison population emerging as a policy concern across Europe, consistent age data will be essential for longitudinal analysis. Format: Technical workshop 1. Current coverage review - Which PAs report which age categories, and which don't? 2. Barriers to reporting - For non-reporting PAs: Is age data simply not recorded? Recorded in incompatible categories? Available only in aggregate? 3. Category harmonisation - Discussion of whether the current age brackets (18–25, 26–49, 50–64, 65+) are optimal, or whether finer granularity (e.g., 65–74, 75+) would be useful for policy purposes 4. Quality check exercise - Review of anomalous year-on-year changes in age data across countries Desired outcome: Agreement on target coverage levels and any needed adjustments to age categories for the 2026 questionnaire. SESSION 3: DATA QUALITY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS 16.00 - 16.45 | Catching errors before publication: Anomaly review as part of the validation procedure Chair: Marcelo F. Aebi Problem: Year-on-year data anomalies (e.g., a country's female inmate share dropping from 5.4% to 2.1% then rebounding to 5.7%) sometimes reach publication before being identified as data entry errors or unexplained methodological changes. Early detection would improve both data quality and the credibility of the survey. Format: Interactive exercise Each correspondent receives a pre-prepared one-page “country profile” showing their PA's key indicators from 2020 to 2025, with any year-on-year changes exceeding 15% highlighted in colour. Correspondents review their own profiles, flag any values they know to be erroneous or explainable by specific events, and return the annotated profiles to the SPACE team. Desired outcome: Immediate identification of data anomalies for correction in the 2025 dataset, and establishment of an annual “anomaly review” step in the SPACE workflow. 5  PC-CP (2026) 7 16.45 - 17.15 | Looking ahead: New indicators and emerging needs Chairs: Marcelo F. Aebi & Edoardo Cocco Open discussion on potential additions or modifications to the SPACE questionnaires, guided by three questions: 1. What should we start collecting? Are there indicators that would be valuable for policy or research but are not currently covered? Possible candidates include: mental health prevalence, educational programmes, digital monitoring (electronic tagging), recidivism proxies, or cost per inmate breakdowns. 2. What should we stop asking? Are there questions in the current questionnaire that are consistently unanswered, poorly understood, or no longer relevant? 3. What should we change? Are there questions that are frequently misinterpreted or where the wording could be improved? Desired outcome: A shortlist of proposed changes for consideration in the 2027 questionnaires revision. 17.15 - 17.30 | Closing remarks and next steps • Summary of action points from each session • Timeline for follow-up • Closing by the Council of Europe 6