This week, COPE’s Not My Crime, Still My Sentence campaign will be focusing on the theme of maintaining family ties through prison visits and alternative communications. The absence of a parent can significantly change the family dynamic and can have negative effects on a child’s development. COPE wants to raise awareness about the importance of … Read More
Year: 2016
Child-friendly visits for children with imprisoned parents
This week, Children of Prisoners Europe has focused its “Not my crime, still my sentence” campaign on Article 2 of the Italian Memorandum of Understanding on children with imprisoned parents. Article 2 of the Memorandum focuses on making prison visits child-friendly. It calls for the designation of a “children’s space” with toys and drawing boards … Read More
Andrea Orlando, Italian Minister for Justice, sends message to COPE
Letter from Minister Andrea Orlando, Minister of Justice, Italy Sent to the President of the COPE network, Lucy Gampell, at COPE’s annual conference co-organised and hosted by the Ombudsman for Children in Zagreb, Croatia, which took place on 20 May 2016 Children with a parent in conflict with the law: What are their best interests? How can … Read More
“Not my crime, still my sentence” campaign: 7th edition
Throughout the month of June, COPE runs an annual pan-European campaign entitled “Not my crime, still my sentence”. The objectives of the campaign include: • Awareness-raising about the rights and needs of children affected by the imprisonment of a parent • Effecting policy change for these children on the local, national and European level The … Read More
20 May Conference: COPE and the Ombudsman for Children Croatia
On the 20th May, COPE co-hosted its annual conference with the Ombudsman for Children Croatia, at the Old Town Hall, Zagreb, entitled Children with a Parent in Conflict With the Law: What are their best interests? How can they be met? Over 200 delegates attended the conference, which began with an introduction from the Ombudswoman … Read More
The 2016 campaign across Europe
COPE annual conference and network meeting 2016
Children with a parent in conflict with the law: What are their best interests? How can they be met? Friday 20 May 2016 Stara gradska vijećnica, Zagreb, Croatia Ombudsman for Children, Croatia and Children of Prisoners Europe On Friday 20 May 2016, Children of Prisoners Europe and the Ombudsman for Children, Croatia, jointly organised an International Conference … Read More
COPE’s Spanish Memorandum of Understanding as model for Argentinian advocacy
COPE has received some exciting news from Plataforma NNAPES (the group of 10 organisations across Latin America and the Caribbean working with and on behalf of children with imprisoned parents). The Argentinian-based members of NNAPES, ACIFAD (Families of Prisoners Association) and CWS (Church World Service) alongside the People Deprived of Liberty´s office of the National … Read More
Alternative Sociale visits Families and Friends of Prisoners in Norway
In April, Families and Friends of Prisoners (FFP) welcomed COPE’s new Applicant member from Romania, Alternative Sociale, an organisation working with and for children of prisoners and their families in Romania. The visit was an interesting and rewarding experience for both organisations, which allowed them to share information about their work, experiences and best practice. … Read More
Papa Plus: Supporting the bond between children and imprisoned dads
With the child’s best interests paramount, Papa Plus is a positive solution-based parent support model to enhance the capacity of prison staff/practitioners in contact with children who have a parent in prison and their fathers. It offers concrete ways on how to strengthen the child-parent bond and minimize risks, while providing fathers with the means to support their child’s development. Papa Plus also helps fathers prepare for reintegration into the home and offers ways for accessing further help, advice and support as a parent from cross-sectoral agencies.