On Tuesday 26 May, COPE held its first ever webinar, entitled Keeping children connected to a parent in prison in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, featuring a series of insightful presentations and discussions about the challenges that the pandemic presents for prisons, and in particular for prisoners and their families. Some 390 people from 38 countries registered – we hope that you were able to join us live.
Thanks to all of you who participated and made the webinar a success, with particular thanks to our presenters Mirna Čačić (Parents in Action RODA, Croatia), Edoardo Fleischner (Bambinisenzasbarre, Italy) and Richard Garside of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies in London. Thanks too to COPE Board member Nancy Loucks of Families Outside (Scotland) for her outstanding facilitation. For those unable to join live, or for interested colleagues, here is a link to the full webinar. Please share this link widely within your communities and networks.
Perhaps the primary takeaway from the webinar is this: we must ensure that the actions we take now lead to positive changes for prisoners and their families in the long term. The institution of video visits as a response to the suspension of in-person visits – by all accounts the most effective response to keeping children and parents connected during the COVID-19 crisis – must not become instituted in place of in-person visits in the long run. “We (children) want hugs not videos!” Children’s right to direct contact with a parent remains just that – a right enshrined in the UNCRC; video visits set up as emergency measures should continue to augment child-parent contact when in-person visits once again become possible.
COVID-19 creates specific challenges for closed institutions like prisons: the most effective way to keep the greatest number of people safe during the crisis is by releasing early prisoners sentenced for non-violent crimes, those serving short sentences or nearing the end of a sentence, older prisoners and juvenile detainees. Prison administrations and Ministries of Justice in national contexts have been more or less proactive in securing early release for prisoners: as of early May, Cyprus had released 17% of its prisoners, France had reduced its prison population by 14% and Italy by 10%. Some countries, including Scotland, have taken measures to eliminate short sentences entirely. Reduced use of prison can be a stopgap measure during the current crisis, becoming an early step in a shift towards a society in which prisons play a less prominent role. Children need their parents at home wherever possible.
Current necessary health precautions make the already difficult task of supporting warm and meaningful contact between children and their parents in prison even harder. Closing and now carefully reopening visits takes us all into new territory needing sensitive new responses — perhaps “hug gloves”, as one webinar participant suggested? Better practice develops through ideas shared.