31st October 2004

A new association working on behalf of children with imprisoned parents was launched October 31 in Glasgow , Scotland . H.A.P.P.Y. (Help and Protect Prisoners’ Youngsters), an information and support services organization that aims to be a voice for prisoners’ children, was set up by two young women who have experienced the incarceration of a parent and have first-hand knowledge of the concomitant stigma and hardship often suffered by the child. After raising an initial £5,000, the association is operating solely on a volunteer basis without specific funding. The two full-time staff members are working to develop an information and support Helpline by early 2005