Djamila is the child of a prisoner detained in a foreign country. She currently works as a social worker specialising in youth psychiatry in the Netherlands and has the role of ambassador for the non-profit organisation Exodus Nederland. Exodus supports prisoners and their families throughout the detention period as well as during the resettlement process. … Read More
Year: 2014
An update from Italy: Bambinisenzasbarre
On 21 March 2014, for the first time in Europe, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Italian Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman for Childhood and Adolescence and Bambinisenzasbarre ONLUS, Italian member of the Children of Prisoners Europe network, on behalf of the estimated 100,000 children visiting their parents in Italian prisons. The Memorandum formally acknowledges that these … Read More
For Fangers Pårørende, Norway: an update
COPE’s Norwegian member, For Fangers Pårørende (FFP), offers support and advice to families and friends of prisoners. The NGO’s mission is to provide transparency and improved conditions for their families. FFP provides advice and support by phone, email and at their offices in Oslo and Trondheim. In 2014, FFP staff visited several prisons across the country to … Read More
Welcome to our newest UK applicant member: POPS
In October 2014, Children of Prisoners Europe welcomed UK organisation Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPS) as an applicant member of the network. This further partnership—POPS and Children of Prisoners Europe worked very successfully together on the Coping project (2010-2013)—promises to be both interesting and mutually beneficial. The year 2014 has been an extremely busy one for … Read More
The Office of the Ombudsman for Children, Croatia
The Ombudsman’s Office for Children in Croatia, a full member of the COPE network and represented by the Deputy Ombudsman for Children, Maja Gabelica Šupljika, has been working to improve the situation of children of imprisoned parents since 2006. This year, the Ombudsman’s Office has carried out visits to the following institutions within the prison … Read More
Parenthood and Detention
Relais Enfants Parents Romands director Viviane Schekter opened “Parenthood and Detention”, an interdisciplinary conference it organised in Lausanne on 18 November, by emphasising the need for further development of support initiatives for imprisoned parents and increased coordination among the various sectors involved. “Stronger work relationships need to be forged, particularly with the prison authorities,” she … Read More
Child Rights Action Group sends open letter to all MEPs – FR
The Child Rights Action Group (CRAG), which consists of 15 child rights organisations including Children of Prisoners Europe, spearheaded an open letter to Members of European Parliament. The main aim of this letter is to remind all MEPs of the importance of children’s rights in their work, the existence of the Child Rights Manifesto that was drafted by CRAG … Read More
Open Letter from the Child Rights Action Group (CRAG) to the newly elected President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker
The Child Rights Action Group (CRAG) of which COPE is a member, sent an open letter to the recently elected European Parliament President, Jean-Claude Juncker, in September 2014, urging him to uphold his commitment to build a Europe that invests in its people. In the letter, CRAG urges Mr. Juncker to steer the European Union … Read More
Championing Children’s Rights in the European Parliament
The new European Parliament must have the institutional capacity to stand up for the interests of children in every aspect of its work. We call on you, to ensure the rights of all children around the world are respected and fulfilled. All 28 EU Member States have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of … Read More
“Don’t you think we deserve better?”
Network member Pact launches ‘Our Voice’: The Charter for Children & Young People with a family member in prison Pact has teamed up with a group of young people between the ages of 13 and 17 who have experienced the imprisonment of a family member, to find out what changes they would like to see in … Read More