On any given day, an estimated 2.1 million children have a parent in a European prison
They have a unique set of challenges and the separation anxiety they often experience can be damaging to their development and overall well-being. Children with a parent in prison, like other marginalised children, are often at greater risk of:
discrimination, stigma, social exclusion and increased poverty and can suffer instability, disruption of the parent-child bond, a breakdown of family ties, violence and bullying.
Child welfare and criminal justice policies to support children with imprisoned parents are lacking, as is robust data to legitimise these policies in the eyes of policymakers. Children with imprisoned parents need greater cross-sectoral support in the home, prison (including child-friendly visiting conditions), at school, and during all stages of the judicial process.