Transatlantic Collaboration: Sharing Best Practices between the United States and European Countries in Probation and Parole Systems

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Joseph Arvidson, MS, commenced his professional journey as a Probation Officer with the Florida Department of Corrections in 1988. He transitioned to a committed role at Ramsey County Community Corrections in 1995. He is currently the Executive Director of The Paragon Group. The Paragon Group strives to promote and advance evidence-based practices in the arena of criminal justice. Their scope of services include speaking engagements, as well as training and consulting as to RNR and desistance-based models. In his role as Executive Director of The Paragon Group, he guides that organization towards championing and broadening evidence-based practices within criminal justice. Mr. Arvidson's reach is both deep and wide, with collaborations spanning from US Federal Probation and Pre-Trial Services and other domestic agencies, to international entities in locales as diverse as Scotland, Barcelona, Australia, and even the Middle East. These global engagements have not only positioned him as a promoter of best practices but also as a keen learner, assimilating multicultural perspectives to enhance the domain of corrections. Additionally, as the founder of The Criminologist Media Group, he steers the narrative of corrections through The Criminologists podcast and its associated YouTube channel, reaching and enlightening diverse audiences.

Iuliana Elena Carbunaru currently serves as a Probation Inspector for the National Probation Directorate within the Romanian Ministry of Justice. Her role involves overseeing the development and implementation of international projects and advocating for the probation system on a global scale. After graduating from The Philosophy Faculty with a focus on Social Work in 2000, Ms. Carbunaru began her career as a social worker with an NGO involved in one of Romania's initial probation pilot projects. In 2001, she secured a position within the newly established probation service under the Ministry of Justice after successfully passing a competitive examination. She furthered her education by completing a Master's program in Community Justice Administration at Bucharest University. With over 20 years of experience in the probation service, Ms. Carbunaru has held various roles including probation counselor, seconded probation counselor within the Ministry of Justice, probation inspector, and director of the probation service. Ms. Carbunaru's international involvement extends to collaborating with probation services across Europe and North America. She serves as an expert for the Council of Europe in her field and has worked as a short-term expert on projects funded by the European Union in the Balkans. Additionally, Ms. Carbunaru was a Board Member of the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) from 2017 until October 2022, after which she was elected Vice-President of the CEP.

Joe Winkler serves as the Assistant Secretary of Community Corrections with the Florida Department of Corrections, where he provides oversight to 140 probation offices statewide and direction to correctional staff supervising 150,000 adult felony offenders. He also provides direct oversight to the four Community Corrections Regional Directors, as well as the Bureau of Probation & Parole Field Services and the Bureau of Community Programs. Mr. Winkler started with the department in 2001 as a probation officer. He has served the department in multiple roles holding every certified position and being promoted to his current position as the top person in Florida Community Corrections. Mr. Winkler received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology from Saint Leo University. He serves on the Board of Directors with the Florida Association of Community Corrections and the National Association of Probation Executives. He is the Florida Commissioner of Interstate Compact and on the Board of Governors with the American Correctional Association. Mr. Winkler is a member of the National Institute of Corrections Probation and Parole Executives and the American Probation and Parole Association.