Become a member

Who can become a member? 

Penitentiary staff training academies in countries that are members of the Council of Europe are eligible for EPTA membership. Such training academies should provide on behalf of the national administration initial or continuous training to staff working in the penitentiary service.  

If a jurisdiction has more than one penitentiary staff training academy, each of them is eligible for membership. The decision, if one or more staff training academies become members of EPTA, is up to the national administration. 

Click here to view the EPTA flyer and read about the benefits of being part of the EPTA network.

How to become a member? 

Expressions of interest for EPTA membership need to be sent to the EPTA secretariat, which is handled by the European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris). These are the following steps:

1. Send a request for the membership application form to the following address: secretariat@epta.info.
2. The Secretariat will then send the membership application form to the interested party for information.
3. Each member has to sign a membership application form in order to join the EPTA network.
4. At the EPTA conference following the signed submission of the membership application, the new EPTA member will receive a Membership Certificate.

Participation at the Annual Conference 

From 2021-2024 EPTA is financially supported through a European Commission-funded project. Participation at the Annual Conference for members is partially financially covered through the project.  

New applicants for membership can participate at the Annual Conference as observers and sign the membership application at the conference or after that, but at least four months before the Annual conference*. If the signature is received by the Secretariat within this time frame, the signatory can participate as EPTA member at the Annual conference and is entitled to partial financial support in travel and subsistence costs.** 

Terminating membership 

Membership can be terminated by sending a written notice to the EPTA Secretariat.

  *  Due to the financial support for the Annual Conference, provided by the EU project financing, the membership application needs to be signed in 2023 at least four months before the Annual Conference in order to participate as an EPTA member. 

** The financial support is limited to the duration of the EU-financed project. Financial implications for future conferences are to be decided in the course of 2023.