Friday 10 November, 2023 I Myrtillo Café — Park for Children & Culture
COPE, in conjunction with the Deputy Children’s Ombudswoman of Greece, hosted a second day-long cross-sectoral roundtable for stakeholders in Greece to coordinate action to support and protect the rights of children with a parent in prison. Some 20 participants were present, including Ministry officials (Ministry of Citizens’ Protection, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs), UNICEF, EuroPris, civil society professionals, Greek Prison Administration professionals (including a prison psychologist), representatives of the EU-funded NESTOR national network of schools for parents in prison project and other researchers and academics.
Key points of discussion
- Continuing Exchange and Future-Proofing: Participants emphasised the need to ensure ongoing quality contact between children and imprisoned parents, regardless of wider, external events such as public health crises.
- Data collection: Efforts were made to update information on the number of affected children in Greece and to enhance partnerships for coordinated data collection action.
- Identifying gaps and opportunities: Discussions highlighted gaps in legislation, data collection and support services for children with imprisoned parents. The data collection system currently is being upgraded and the roundtable gave an opportunity to highlight variables that are key in future data collection: the number of parents in prison, whether a regiser exists for record-keeping, the frequency and length of visits, the number of children visiting priosn and the number of visits, the availability of child friendly space for visits, whether physical contact between children and parents is authorise and the number of pending requets from people in prison to see their children, among others.
- EuroPris and international perspectives: EuroPris shared insights on implementing Council of Europe Recommendation on children with imprisoned parents (CM/Rec(2018)5) and fostering collaboration among European prison services.
- Innovative initiatives: Presentations showcased initiatives such as the NESTOR project, focusing on enhancing parenting skills among imprisoned parents using a Transformational Learning process and creating support networks to strengthen the child-parent relationship.
Challenges and Opportunities
- Policy agendas: The situation of children with a parent in prison is often low in agenda of policy makers, leading to inadequate support systems and training for prison staff.
- Data collection and legislation: Challenges include the lack of comprehensive data on affected children and the need for clearer legislation protecting their rights.
- Practical support: Initiatives like child-friendly visitation spaces and educational programs in prisons show promise but face implementation challenges.
Proposed Actions and Conclusion
Participants proposed various actions, including more multi-disciplinary roundtables, enhanced training for prison staff, and advocacy efforts to raise awareness and influence policy decisions.
The progress made since the initial 2022 roundtable and cohesion of the working group demonstrates Greece’s readiness for increased awareness and national networking to better support children with imprisoned parents. COPE would like to thank the Deputy Children’s Ombudswoman for her commitment to this event and for her work on advancing the rights of children who have a parent in prison. A conference showcasing the NESTOR project’s outcomes scheduled for 21 February in Athens will keep the momentum going in terms of strengthening further the rights of children and ensuring their well-being.