The COPE network has two categories of membership directly involved in the organisation:

  • Member organisations
  • Individual Members (invitation only)

All organisations who would like to join the network must be considered first as applicant members, before being eligible to become full members.

We also welcome affiliates who would like to receive regular updates about the network and our work. Anyone can be an affiliate, whether an organisation or an individual. 

Member organisations

Mission Statement: Alternative Sociale has been working to raise awareness on issues resulting from the interaction of children with the justice system, either as victims, perpetrators or from having imprisoned parents, since 1997. Alternative Sociale contributed to the improvement of the conditions for hearing children in police stations, prosecutor’s offices and courts of law, and also in prison visiting rooms, to be friendlier for children visiting their parents.

Alternative Sociale was part of the research team for the milestone FP7 Framework EU-funded COPING project (2010-2013) and also has conducted an investigation resulting in the first estimate regarding the number of Romanian children of prisoners. Alternative Sociale works in family and child, justice, migration, education, and social economy sectors, and provides training for criminal justice participants such as police officers, prosecutors, prison guards and judges.

Website: http://www.alternativesociale.ro/

Aproximar is a non-profit organization aiming to enhance organisations’ social and human capital as a strategy to develop their capacity to take advantage of challenges and opportunities raised by the environment in a sustainable manner, including the training of prison professionals and other initiatives within the criminal justice system. 

Website: https://www.aproximar.pt/

Mission Statement: To maintain the links between child and incarcerated parent. Works to facilitate the bond between children and their imprisoned parent.

As a non-profit, non-governmental, individual organisation, they rely on private funding from the Fonds Houtman, Rotary Club, Communauté Française Belgique, United Fund and Institutional funding from the Justice Ministry and the Labour Ministry.

They are prison-based, and their services are: Parent group discussions, child-friendly areas, support sessions, and the ‘bénévoles navetteurs’ who accompany children visiting their parents.

A highlight is the tri-lieux visiting areas divided into sensi-motor, relaxation and creativity spaces for children visiting their parents in prison.

Website: http://www.relaisenfantsparents.be/

Mission Statement: Bambinisenzasbarre strives to promote and maintain the bond between children and their imprisoned parents.

A non-profit, non-governmental, individual organisation based in Milan.

They offer prison-based projects such as support groups or individual counselling and child-friendly visitsand have developed an innovative model revolving around football games to strengthen the child-parent bond: Game with Mum & Dad.

A special initiative is the Spazio Giallo waiting room for children visiting Milan prisons. In various other prisons, there are child-friendly play areas divided by age, and an effort towards more green outdoor spaces to be used during visits.

Website: http://www.bambinisenzasbarre.org/

Mission Statement: Seeks to facilitate the families of prisoners as a group sharing common interests. Offers support to the families affected by imprisonment and helps with the re-integration of ex-prisoners into their family life and into society.

A registered charity run by a voluntary group created in 1999 by the Franciscan and Mercy orders.

Yearly aid is provided by the Irish Prison Service.

The charity is focused on meeting the particular needs of children with a parent in prison. They help people in prison through education and development programmes. They carry out research and raise awareness of the cause, and train counsellors who work with families.

The hospitality service at Limerick Prison provides refreshments and child-centred activities while waiting to visit someone in prison.

Website: http://www.bedfordrow.ie/

Mission Statement: Bufff is a national children’s rights organisation that is politically and religiously independent, organising 14 local organisations across Sweden. Bufff works to emphasize and improve the conditions of children of imprisoned parents and offers support to children, adolescents and families with a parent or family member in prison, detention or on parole.
Activities offered: Individual counselling for children and caregivers (in person or via chat, telephone or digital meetings); support groups and group activities for children and families; parental support for imprisoned parents; non-prison based recreational activities with children and families; national helpline for children, caregivers and imprisoned parents; expertise for prison officers or other professionals who meet the children; awareness raising and advocacy work.

Website: www.bufff.se

Mission Statement: to promote social welfare answers that help individuals to value themselves and their welfare and facilitate their inclusion in society. CASPAE carry out, among others, projects devoted to the promotion of the rights of children with imprisoned parents. 

Website: https://caspae.pt/PT/

Mission Statement: Child and Space Association has been working on the topic of children with imprisoned parents since 2015, when we initiated, for the first time in Bulgaria, the project “Preparation and Support for the independent and full life of freedom” to work with parents – mothers in Sliven prison. The idea of the project was to reduce the risk of recidivism and of family separation during the mother’s sentence and following release. On the other side, the involvement of prison staff in these activities is so important and should be encouraged in an effort to support parental care that meets the specific needs of the child, to preserve and strengthen it, and to expand communication and contact with families, in order to facilitate reintegration.

Website: https://childandspace.com/

Mission Statement: Children Heard and Seen is a charity that works to mitigate the effects of parental imprisonment on children, young people and their families. They aim to provide quality services for children with a family member in prison.

Provides direct intervention with the children and young people of prisoners.

Provides targeted interventions, and mentors to children and young people.

Organises activity days and support groups for parents.

Website: http://childrenheardandseen.co.uk/

Mission Statement: Confiar is a Non-Governmental Association of public utility under Portugueselaw with more than 20 years’ history, working inside prisons with prisoners and supporting them in the transition into liberty, offering social and psychological support, with the final aim of guaranteeing an autonomous life, free of recidivism. Confiar’s mission is to prevent criminal behaviour and promote social inclusion and reintegration of youngsters, adult prisoners, former adult inmates and their  families, through the identification of risk factors, the determination of their  respective protection measures to be adopted in each case and the application of  restorative practices, under the lenses of Restorative Justice, as a complementary  way of doing Justice, restorative processes that might involve the participation of  victims, offenders and community members.

Website: https://confiarportugal.pt/pt/

Mission Statement: To foster and protect the basic values of our society. Monitors the status of human rights in Czechia.

They are a non-profit, non-governmental organisation.

Funded entirely by company and private donations.

Recent Strengthening Parenting Skills Project highlighted the importance of maintaining bonds between children and their imprisoned parent.

Website: http://helcom.cz/en/

Mission Statement: Czech Prison Fellowship offers a broad range of support to all those affected by crime to victims, to prisoners, to released prisoners, to families, and especially to the children of prisoners. Children with a parent in prison are supported through the following programmes:

  • Angel Tree (Christmas presents for children of prisoners)
  • Angel Camp (A summer camp for children of prisoners)
  • Day with my child (special visit day in prison for children, their carers and incarcerated parent with a programme supporting family bonds)
  • Mentoring of families and material support
  • Meetings with carers of children

Czech Prison Fellowship is participating in a three-year research study concerning children with imprisoned parents. By informing the general public, Czech Fellowship breaks down prejudices against families, especially children with imprisoned parents. Activities are organized that lead to systemic changes in the support provided to children with imprisoned parents in Czechia.

Website: www.prisonfellowship.cz

Mission Statement: To provide shelter and support to ex-prisoners and those in the final months of their imprisonment.

Works with the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Correctional Institutions.

Exodus houses throughout the country provide a safe haven for those just out of prison, part of the recuperative program is a focus on rebuilding relationships.

The Parents, Children and Detention Project facilitates monthly child-friendly visits to imprisoned parents.

Website: http://www.exodus.nl/

Mission Statement: Families Outside works to improve outcomes for children and families affected by imprisonment in Scotland. Our vision is for families to be treated with justice and fairness so they can live lives free from stigma and disadvantage.

An advocacy and awareness group for Scottish families affected by imprisonment.

50/50 Funded by Scottish government sources and charitable trusts.

Provides direct support to families via its national Helpline, regional family support teams, and peer support

Delivers training and awareness to key professionals in and out of the justice system, including specialist training for teachers.

Influences policy and practice, including via its Parliamentary Cross-Party Group on Children & Families Affected by Imprisonment.

Website: http://www.familiesoutside.org.uk/

Mission Statement: The association consists of a network of France-based NGOs (Relais Enfants Parents) that work on behalf of children separated from an imprisoned parent; they help to restore the child-parent relationship. 

Accompany the child on prison visits to see his or her parent.

Special prison visits for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and other holidays.

Created child-friendly play areas inside prisons where imprisoned parents can visit their children.

Website: https://www.frep-internationale.org/

Mission Statement: To support and advocate for relatives and friends of prisoners.

Individual, non-profit organisation.

Most funding is institutional from the Ministries of Justice and of Child Affairs and from local authorities. Some is from private foundations, membership fees and donations. Their non-prison-based services include providing a meeting point for young people aged 13-20 to share their experiences, receive support and partake in various recreational activities. FFP raises awareness, lobbies and trains those in contact with children with a parent in prison. A special initiative by the organisation was its contribution to the CRC shadow report to the UN, asking that Norwegian authorities be urged to improve visiting facilities and allowances and to offer financial support for those needing it to travel to the prisons.

Website: http://www.ffp.no/

Mission Statement: Hoppenbank e.V. is a recognised association operating in free assistance to those in conflict with the law in Bremen since 1971. One of their main tasks is to support former prisoners, those imprisoned and those at risk of imprisonment to find a job and reintegrate into society. As part of many different projects, we take care of an average of 2,500 clients annually. We assist in the fields of job seeking, activities, release preparation, addiction counseling, housing and confinement avoidance. Our main goal is to reduce social issues for people who have been involved in crime and point out that delinquency is an overall social problem. The policy of our work is based on values of a human, democratic and solidarity-based society. We stand for a society in which cultural differences are respected, economical and social disadvantages are reduced and equal opportunities for all are  encouraged.

Website: http://www.hoppenbank.info/

Mission Statement: To campaign for the rights of people in prison and the progressive reform of Irish penal policy. IPRT works to ensure that the rights of those in contact with the system are respected. A non-governmental, independent organization, funded entirely by donations from charitable trusts and membership fees. Advocacy and campaigning to raise awareness and influence policy concerning prisoners and their families.

Mission Statement: Life without Crime (Rikoksettoman elämän tukisäätiö or RETS) is a national expert organisation and service provider. The purpose of our work is to ensure that ex-offenders and their loved ones receive the support they need, that their rights are fulfilled and that recidivism is reduced. State and privately funded.

Website : https://rets.fi/

Mission Statement: Mid-Dlam Ghad-Dawl is the Maltese phrase of “From Darkness to Light”. This name was chosen by the founders of our organisation to express their hope in the future. The Organisation was founded on April 10, 1995, by a group of prisoners held at our local Corradino Correctional Facility in Paola, Malta. The original aim of the founders was to help themselves and their families undergo the prison experience  with more dignity and self esteem. In August of that same year, following their release from prison, two of the leading founders continued the group on the outside, thereby coming into close contact with the non-government organisation Daritama. In this way, the group became part of a larger organisation under the leadership of Rev Dr Mark  F Montebello OP. This close relationship ended on December 9, 2008. The organisation extends its services to prisoners, their families and ex-prisoners. In Malta, especially in these last years, MDD has worked closely with many support agencies especially IFT Malta (Institute of Family Therapy). 

Website: https://mddmalta.com/

Mission Statement: NIACRO works to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities. Offers support to people and communities affected by crime.

It is a non-profit, individual organisation that works with the Northern Ireland Prison Service and Northern Ireland Probation Board to ensure that services are provided to all those entering custody.

NIACRO offers advice to all those in contact with the criminal justice system, it offers services to people visiting prison and helps those in prison resettle once released. 

The family links service provides the families of prisoners with ongoing telephone support, home visits, information on where to find help, transport to the prisons, childcare help and meetings with prison staff.

 

Mission Statement: Their mission is to coordinate, promote and protect children in an effort to make children’s rights a more significant political and social priority.

Established in 2003 by the Act on the Ombudsman for Children.

A parliamentary institution and an individual, autonomous, specialised and independent supervisory authority for children’s rights, with a multidisciplinary approach.

The Ombudsman for Children submits an annual report to the Croatian National Parliament and informs the public on the state of children’s rights. 

The Ombudsman works on handling independent cases as well as promoting research and legislation on the issue at large. 

Many Croatian prisons now have child-friendly play areas in visiting rooms.

Mission Statement: To provide a fresh start as well as practical and emotional support for prisoners and their families.

It is a non-profit, non-governmental, individual organisation.

They rely on private funding, with some institutional aid from the UK Prison Service

They work within prisons to train and educate prison staff on the needs of child visitors.

Recruits and trains staff for the prison play areas/develops and disseminates good practices for running child-friendly play areas in prisons. 

 

Mission Statement: To provide a variety of services to support anyone who has a link with someone in prison, prisoners and other agencies. POPS provides assistance to these groups to enable them to cope with the stress of arrest, sentence, imprisonment and release. Works as part of i-Hop network of organisation in UK.

Works on a regional and national level.

Provides support and information to prisoners’ families from the earliest stages of involvement with the criminal justice system.

Mission Statement: To help and support prisoners, their families and children affected by imprisonment; to change social awareness among citizens and the Government.

Supervision of a small number of probation cases allowing for a real impact on the lives of prisoners.

Organisation of parenting programmes for imprisoned parents.

 

Mission Statement: To serve as a Quaker presence at the United Nations, representing Friends’ concerns at the international level, with offices at UN headquarters in New York, as well as in Geneva.

Receives funding from a variety of both non-governmental and governmental sources.

Facilitates dialogue and works on specific issues in a manner that is unique in the UN community.

Facilitates informal, open negotiating processes in which all participate on an equal footing.

Mission Statement: To maintain the links between child and in parent in the hypothesis of an incarceration. Working on behalf of children separated from an imprisoned parent, they help to restore the child-parent relationship.

It is part of a network of REPs (Fédération des Relais Enfants Parents) countrywide.

The organisation is non-profit and non-governmental.

Funded institutionally by the Ministries of Justice and Family, and Family Affairs. Funded privately by the Fondation de France and Delta 7. 

REP trains non-prison-based volunteers who accompany children visiting prisons and creates child-friendly prison areas.  They also carry out craft workshops for the parents in prison to create works of art for their children.

Special visits are held for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and holidays.

 

Mission Statement: To give support to families of detainees, and to raise awareness about imprisonment and its effects on children and families.

A non-profit, non-governmental organisation.

The Relais Enfants Parents Romands welcomes families before and after visits, accompanies children to the visiting rooms.

Their staff of psychologists offers individual, couples or group counselling.

 

Mission Statement: To work towards a society that is responsible for children, parents, prospective parents and families – informing, educating, and advocating active participation in the processes of change, and by encouraging parents and other community groups to review the current situation and participate in the changes.

Participated in MA#ME project.

They work in various fields in Croatia, working with parents, children and young people.

 

Mission Statement: Romodrom works to support those at risk of social exclusion. The five main areas of work include employment, finances, education, culture and housing. Programming focuses on prisoners leaving prison and their families, including children and the strengthening of child-parent relationships.

Website: https://romodrom.cz/cs/

 

Mission Statement: To support children and families affected by imprisonment  by providing them with tools as well as direct help. Individual, non-governmental organisation. SAVN works closely with  the Danish Institute of Human Rights. SAVN provides counselling to children and families. The group organises weekend excursions for the children, and conferences to raise  awareness on the issue. Thanks to their efforts, each prison officer recruited in Denmark must receive specialised training with SAVN in order to educate the staff on the needs of children visiting prisons.

Mission Statement: To support the parent-child relationship during and after imprisonment.

As an individual, non-profit organisation, it offers group therapy and workshops for the prisoners, and accompanied prison visits, as well as individual interviews between professional staff and child or parent.  Child-friendly visiting rooms.

The service continues after the parent leaves prison, to ensure that the relationship continues.

Mission Statement: The Solrosen organisation, part of Sweden’s Rescue Mission network, provides support for children, adolescents and families with a parent or family member in prison, detention or on parole. Activities include:

Individual counselling (including information and support) to children, young people and families of prisoners. 

Non-prison based recreational activities with children and families.

Support groups for children, young people and families. 

Parental support for imprisoned parents.

Offering the possibility to write lyrics and music as a tool to process.

Awareness-raising and advocacy work.

Lecturing for penitentiary and other stakeholder education.

Website: http://www.raddningsmissionen.se/verksamhet/solrosen

 

Mission Statement: Youth organization Status: M is a non- profit organization that brings together a group of youth workers from different professions, all set to improve the status of youth in the society. Status:M is raising awareness, questioning and deconstructing prevailing social norms and stereotypes.Supported by Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of Croatia. Their M-Centre cooperates with police, organisations and clubs for young men to implement prevention of violence and crime.

 

Mission Statement: Provides socio-pedagogical assistance for people in prison, their families and their victims. Maintains the link between a child and his parent in the best interests of the child.

They are an individual, institutionally funded, governmental organisation, accompanying children visiting parents in prison. Run discussion groups and workshops for parents in prison.

 

 

Individual members

Andres Aru is the head of the Department of Children and Youth Rights in the Office of the Chancellor of Justice. This department supports the Chancellor of Justice in fulfilling the task of protecting and promoting children’s rights (Children’s Ombudsman). Since 2011, Andres has been the representative of the Chancellor of Justice in the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC). In 2022 he was elected to the Secretary position in the Bureau of ENOC.

The late Ann Adalist-Estrin worked with the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated which serves programmes and systems that are focused on or interested in COIP by disseminating current and accurate data and offering training and technical assistance. She was truly a visionary and a champion for children with a parent in prison, having worked with children and families for over forty years.

COPE President. Former QUNO representative for Human Rights and Refugees

Associate Professor in the Department of Developmental  and Educational Psychology (Faculty of Psychology) at the University of Salamanca  (Spain). Currently directing the first national research project in Spain regarding the effects of parental incarceration on children.

Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Ulster with research experience in youth justice, the imprisonment of children, the treatment of women within the criminal justice system, and the needs and rights of prisoners’ families.

Larry de Cléir is a psychotherapist, facilitator, trainer, and former Project Leader of Bedford Row Family Project, in Limerick Ireland (www.bedfordrow.ie).
He has supported families and children affected by imprisonment for over 30 years.
He passionately believes that the best way to protect children that are in distress due to the effects of imprisonment is to recognise strengths, kindness, compassion and wisdom that abounds in their families and to enable them to flower to their fullest degree.

Marylène Delhaxe is a paediatrician who works with the Fonds Houtman.

Lecturer at University College Cork and child rights advocate, Fiona developed child rights training for lawyers for UNICEF and ran a major child rights project funded by the European Commission. She has taught at a number of law schools in the UK. Her research includes work on the rights of children of incarcerated parents, the law related to citizen participation in democratic states, and more generally administrative justice.

COPE Board member. Deputy Ombudsperson for Children in Croatia. Maja handles independent cases, visits prisons, edits publications about the rights of children whose parents are in prison, collaborates with relevant stakeholders encouraging them to recognise the issue and to provide children, parents and caregivers with supporting  interventions, presents the issue in the media and gives presentations on the rights of children of prisoners at different expert meetings as well as to students, journalists, police, social workers, psychologists, teachers.

The former director of Action for Prisoners’ Families and former COPE president, Lucy is now a trustee at Clinks and currently a member of the parole board.

In 2010 she was awarded an OBE on the New Years’ Honours list for services to disadvantaged people.

COPE Board member. Winie has been educated in the field of child protection and worked as a social worker in children’s homes and foster care. For four years she and her husband ran a residential foster home for teenagers 24/7. Over the past 14 years Winie has been dedicated herself to improving expertise on children of prisoners in the Netherlands by working on a volunteering programme, ‘Parents, children and detention’ for Exodus Nederland.

Winie is currently the operational manager of the Dutch centre of Expertise K I N D. (Kind means Child). The network organisation focuses on providing information, advice and training to and in cooperation with professionals and families of children of imprisoned parents.

Formerly the Director of the Berlin Kita Institute for Quality Development, which monitors day-care centres. Previously a member of the COPE Board, Henriette has been instrumental in helping to shape COPE’s strategic development.

Previous Prison Governor of Heves County Remand Prison, Hungary, Attila has been part of the European Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) since 2013. He was elected Vice-Chair of the PC-CP in 2018.

A fierce advocate of non-formal and participatory educational techniques, Hannah has been a longstanding member of the Human Rights Education Commission of Amnesty International France (AIF), where she designs and facilitates workshops and trainings. Hannah spent several years working with Children of Prisoners Europe (2013-2018), beginning as Project Coordinator and becoming Assistant Director in 2016. She co-launched the first pan-European data collection initiative on children with imprisoned parents in 2017, was editor of the European Journal of Parental Imprisonment and managed the network’s international campaign. She was also COPE representative in the Alliance for Childhood European Network Group and the Child Rights Connect Working Group on Children of Incarcerated Parents. She is currently a COPE Individual member and on the COPE Board.

David Mackie is a retired Scottish sheriff who advocates for incorporating UNCRC principles into judicial practice and policy to better support children with a parent in prison. He is committed to share his insights with judicial colleagues and improve judicial practice and government policy through learning and idea exchange.

Kathrine EC Mackie is a retired Scottish solicitor and sheriff and the first female President of the Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Court. Since retiring, she remains active in various charities focused on legal reform and she is comitted to advocate for considering the impact of parental imprisonment on children in the sentencing process.

Executive Director of the organisation Nisma per Ndryshim Shoqeror ARSIS, Ana Majko has 12 years of extensive experience in social care and in the child protection system in Albania and in the region. She has knowledge of child rights implementation in Albania, developing and piloting new services, and capacity building in child protection and policy and legislation.

Freelance Management Consultant / Experience Expert

Russ is a serving police officer in England and has contributed to various initiatives of COPE, including the police toolkit. He believes children should be judged on their own merits and worked on a UK programme to recognise and support children impacted by parental imprisonment involving police forces.

Researching the impact of maternal imprisonment on children at the Centre for Criminology, Oxford. Shona has been instrumental in enhancing the UK sentencing guidelines and thus strengthening the rights and welfare of children with imprisoned parents.

Linda Moore is a Senior Lecturer at Ulster University’s School of Crim. Politics & Social Policy. Her research interests are youth justice and human rights within the penal context including the rights of prisoners’ families.

Head of Family Interventions at HMP Parc in South Wales, Corin Morgan-Armstrong has worked in the prison service for over 20 years, primarily focusing on rehabilitation and resettlement initiatives. The past decade of Corin’s career has been almost exclusively dedicated to the agenda of children and families of prisoners.

Former head of psychology at the Irish Prison Service, currently involved in New Directions.

A member of the University College Cork Law Faculty since 2008, Aisling’s research interests lie in the areas of children’s rights and family law as well as disability and the law. Her publications include articles on international children’s rights including the rights of children with disabilities.

President of Eurochips 2004 – 2009, then Treasurer of COPE, Kate is currently chairing the Wise Persons Group. She has been working with and for children of imprisoned parents since 1986.

Coordination, supervision and evaluation of different programmes from a social work perspective as part of the Catalonian penal social services.

A former secondary school teacher and Family Support Manager at Families Outside, Sarah has worked to engage schools in supporting families and children with imprisoned parents. She established an in-prison training programme to further familiarise teachers with issues of imprisonment and developed a ground-breaking child impact assessment tool with the participation of children and young people.

Oliver previously worked on several campaigns related to children of imprisoned parents at the Quaker United Nations Office. He now works for Penal Reform International.

Peter Scharff Smith is Professor in the Sociology of Law at the University in Oslo, Norway. Smith has undertaken several studies on the families and children of prisoners and has published books and articles within this field. He has also worked extensively with practical prison reform in this area together with, among others, Scandinavian prisoner family NGOs and the Danish prison and probation service. He is the author or co-author of nine monographs and co-editor of several edited collections. Peter has for example authored When the Innocent are Punished: The Children of Imprison Parents (Palgrave, 2014). His latest books in English are Jules Lobel and Peter Scharff Smith (eds.): Solitary Confinement: Effects, Practices, and Pathways toward Reform Oxford University Press 2020, and Rachel Condry and Peter Scharff Smith (eds.): Prisons, Punishment, and the Family: Towards a New Sociology of Punishment? Oxford University Press 2018.

Former COPE Board member. Former coordinator at Service Treffpunkt (Luxembourg)

Deputy Governor at Maghaberry Prison in Northern Ireland, Mr. Treacy is involved in the development of family services in the prison.

Margaret Tuite was the European Commission coordinator for the rights of the child from November 2011 to the end of August 2018, in the unit responsible for fundamental rights policy in Directorate-General Justice and Consumers. From 2008-2011, she was deputy head of the unit for criminal justice. She has worked for the European Commission for 33 years, 16 of them in the justice and home affairs domains. Margaret has sought to boost the visibility of children who have a parent in prison and policies that respect their rights, and in supporting the COPE network. She was a member of the Wise Persons Group and is currently President of COPE. She is also on the Board of Child Rights International Network (CRIN), Defence for Children (DCI) Belgium and Defence for Children International. 

Virginija is the Chief specialist of the Ministry of Justice Prison Department’s Resocialisation unit, Republic of Lithuania. The unit focuses on the implementation of risk assessment instruments and correctional interventions, particularly for juveniles in detention.

The former President of Eurochips, Dr. Wolleswinkel is now the Director of Studies at Maastricht University Faculty of Law, and national director of the European Master in Human Rights and Democratisation. Her primary research focus is on gender perspectives of family rights of prisoners and their families.

Polly has 20 years of experience in children and family sectors, notably in project management, research and development.  Chaired and participated in local and national strategy groups to develop multi-agency responses to supporting the children of prisoners, and developed and delivered training to practitioners across education, social care, policing and the prison service to develop knowledge and awareness about parental imprisonment.

Ksenia Žurakovskaja-Aru is a senior advisor to the Chancellor of Justice in the Inspection Visits Department. This department supports the Chancellor of Justice in carrying out the task of the National Preventive Mechanism, i.e. the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in places of detention. An expert in prison law and the prevention of torture and ill-treatment, she has extensive experience in conducting inspection visits to prisons and drafting the Chancellor of Justice’s reports and recommendations on the treatment of prisoners, but also their families and especially children.

Applicant Members

Care After Prison (CAP) is a criminal justice charity and national peer led service supporting people affected by imprisonment, current and former offenders, and their families. Our Family Support Service offers families a safe confidential space with 1:1 support, information and advice through our freephone helpline and/or meeting with family members. CAP also provides four other services: Peer Mentor Support and Training, the Community Support Scheme, Post Release Support and Prison in reach whereby those with lived experience of imprisonment can identify what they need to reach and sustain their goal of leading crime-free lives. We believe in the ability of everyone to change given the right circumstances and support.

Website: http://careafterprison.ie/

 

The SVASTA Foundation is a Romanian NGO whose mission is to help children and young people facing material difficulties but willing to learn. In 2014, the Foundation launched its project “Alone to School”, a project designed to support children with imprisoned parents who have encountered financial difficulties and are therefore at a risk of dropping out of school. So far, over 350 children have been granted a scholarship by the Foundation, allowing them to successfully complete their studies. Beyond financial aid, the SVASTA Foundation works hand in hand with schools, child protection authorities, the National Administration of Penitentiaries in Romania, and other NGOs to monitor school results and provide children and families of prisoners with moral support.

Website: https://svasta.org/

 

In Norway, about 6000 – 9000 children have one of their parents serving a sentence at any given time. Kirkens Bymisjon – FRI barn og familie reaches out and provides support to children and their parents. Offers of support include a follow-service, children’s groups, family activities, chat-service, individual follow-up with children and families, international child development program (ICDP), specialised lectures for parents, education about children with imprisoned parents to other agencies and a podcast.

Website: https://kirkensbymisjon.no/byer-og-steder/drammen/

 

Mission Statement: Sussex Prisoners’ Families works in courts, prisons, and communities helping families navigate the criminal justice system by offering advice, advocacy, information, and emotional support. We offer one to one and group support to families struggling with the impact of imprisonment. We also offer outings, trips and activities for families and children with a loved-one in prison.

 

Affiliate Organisations

Provides professional support for minors and families to enhance and maintain family relationships when a family member is in prison.

The Federal Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, a Bonn-based NGO, we bring together the initiatives of various German charity organisations (such as Red Cross and Caritas) working in this field.

Target group: people in prison, former prisoners, family members of people in prison

Website: https://bag-s.de/

 

Mission Statement: Barnardo’s vision is that the lives of all children and young people should be free from poverty, abuse and discrimination. They pledge to support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child.
95 pence in every £1 they spend goes directly to support vulnerable children.

 

  • Welfare, counselling support and sponsorship work for children of prisoners
  • Research and study for children of prisoners
  • Campaign and recognition improvement work

Front line work with visitors to prison including child visitors. Research on this work.

 

Mission Statement: Firebird Foundation is committed to gender equity and the pursuit of a fairer and more equal society for women and their children. A core area of its work aims to reduce the numbers of women in prison and to ensure that children affected by parental imprisonment are appropriately identified and supported.

 

Mission Statement: The organisation focuses its activities on peer support for prisoners’ families, on establishing supportive networks for newly released juveniles, and on training correctional staff, professionals and judges in matters of prisoners’ families. Creation of handbooks, leaflets and organisation of informative events for prisoners’ families as well as for professionals.

 

Mission Statement: FusionCPL is a Community Addiction Project in Cherry Orchard, providing addiction support (drug free/stable) for all genders, aged eighteen and over, who reside in Dublin 10 & Dublin 20.  In addition, our Community Prison Links Service provides support to those who are in custody.

Mission Statement: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

The Salvation Army is active in many areas, always with the objective of alleviating human distress at a physical, moral and spiritual level. 

Prison chaplaincy, social support, family support

 

Mission Statement: The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) is a public benefit human rights organisation that protects human dignity through legal and public activities. HHC is one of the founding members of FECSKE, the Support Network for Detainees and their Family members, a network of people who experienced incarceration, their family members, civilians and professionals working together for promoting humane imprisonment.

 

Mission Statement: To work in North-Eastern Brazil to formulate public policy on children’s issues. It is a private, non-governmental organisation. 70% private funding, 30% public funding. Runs programs dealing with childhood and urban violence, with a special program on urban children of imprisoned parents.

Website: www.ifan.com.br 

 

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs & Family of the Slovak Republic is an important state administration body for the social-legal protection of children and family policy coordination.

Website: https://www.employment.gov.sk/en/

Mission Statement: Miindulness offers targeted, impactful solutions to promote mental health and wellbeing for children, including those impacted by parental imprisonment through community-based projects.

 

Morning Tears Deutschland is an organisation working for children of imprisoned parents in China and Cambodia and currently developing projects inside Germany. Its activities include research, awareness raising, facilitating contact between children and their imprisoned parents, residential care projects and training and policy preparation.

 

New Directions is a new initiative which aims to offer a free, confidential information and support service for families affected by imprisonment.

 

Ormiston Families, based in the East of England, takes early and preventive action to help create safe, healthy and resilient families who feel in control of their own wellbeing. Breaking Barriers, Ormiston’s programme for children and families affected by imprisonment, provides direct one-to-one support for children as well as work with professionals—teachers, social workers, police officers and others— to improve their understanding of the effects that imprisonment can have on children.

Website: https://www.ormiston.org/

The organisation supports individuals, families and communities in Merseyside, Wales, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Scotland. The PSS Family Impact service works with whole families living with the consequences of problematic drug and alcohol use, imprisonment, involvement in the criminal justice system and where young people are involved in gangs.

Website: http://www.psspeople.com/

 

Mission Statement: To offer support to children with a parent in prison.

  • Privately funded
  • Provides home-based social work support, mentoring for the children, and family meetings
  • Organises courses for prisoners on how to maintain their family life.

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system. We do this by inquiring into the workings of the system; informing prisoners, staff and the wider public; and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform. PRT’s main objectives are:

  1. reducing unnecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime;
  2. improving treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families; and
  3. promoting equality and human rights in the justice system.

Regional organisation working to protect the link between children and their imprisoned parents. Member of the FREP.

Supports families affected by alcohol and drugs, including families with loved ones in prisons. Scottish Families works closely with Families Outside in several prisons to support families.

Mission Statement: To coordinate services to strengthen the bond between children and their imprisoned parents and mitigate the trauma caused by the separation.

  • Non-profit organisation funded by the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade
  • Accompanies children to prisons’ visits
  • Help children write letters for their parents
  • Hosts stakeholder meetings, monthly information interviews, and training sessions.

 

Mission Statement: Storybook Dads helps maintain the vital bond between parent and child by enabling parents to make story CDs/DVDs and educational gifts for their children.

Storybook Dads is a registered charity relying entirely upon charitable contributions and works to keep families in touch. The prison parents record a message to deliver to the child to listen to.

 

In 1990, Telefono Azzurro set up the first toll-free telephone helpline for children. It currently also takes calls from adults who want to report missing or exploited children. The commitment to listening to children has evolved over the years and consequently has become more and more specialized.

 

Youth Re-autonomy Foundation of Turkey is the first civil society organisation working in the field of juvenile delinquency justice system defending children’s rights. The foundation works with children who are socially disadvantaged or imprisoned. The central office of the foundation is in Kadiköy/Istanbul, with branch offices in Ankara and Izmir.

Partnered with COPE for the “Children Outside Prison Project” which ended in January 2017.

 

A non-profit that offers counselling, discussion groups, prison visits and family support for the families of prisoners.

Contact: Bedřiška Kopoldova – beruna.k@seznam.cz

 

Individual Affiliates

The Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University ÇABAÇAM (Multi-Purpose Early Childhood Education Centre) is an innovative model based on the active collaboration of multiple stakeholders, namely academic, regional and district administrative institutions and non-governmental organisations.  

Senior Lecturer in Criminology at De Montfort University for 11 years and previously a Social Worker and Probation Officer. Has contributed to the EJPL.

Educational psychologist at The Educational Psychology Service providing psychological services to schools and settings across Birmingham, UK.

Research Fellow Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Center (Monash University), her research explores primary career fathers in prison and the impact of imprisonment on children and families in Australia.

Consultant/Trainer and Speaker. Hands on experience of working with children and families of prisoners. Main focus on young offenders who are looked-after children and black minority ethnic offenders and their families.

Slovenian Prison Administration

Works with research in penitentiary institutions in Italy, particularly into activities with children with imprisoned parents and family connections.

Member of the board of directors of an organisation working with the families of women in court.

Cyprus Prison Administration, Member of the former EuroPris expert group on children with imprisoned parents.

Associate Director of Children in State Care at Aangan Trust India.

Affiliated with the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the University of Groningen, and Addiction Care Northern Netherlands. Conducting PhD research on paternal imprisonment, family relationships and child wellbeing, working closely with two prisons in the Netherlands to co-develop an in-prison family-focussed programme.

Works with association Confiar-PF Portugal which operates several projects developed in the context of its activities in prisons and support to prisoners, their families and community.

Slovenian Prison Administration.

Mandida is a volunteer member of Zimbabwe Prison Fellowship with special focus on children. She is currently conducting research on children imprisoned with their mothers in Zimbabwe. In addition, Mandida works with families of prisoners by sourcing food and clothing for the babies who live with their imprisoned mothers and is currently working on a project to open a local foundation for children who are left behind by the imprisonment of parents.

Works for the Austrian government with pre-trial and short-term prisons primarily counselling inmates and their families.

Yvette is associate professor of Psychology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her recent work examines family stabilization as mothers re-enter society from prison and she has co-authored an edited book, Children of Incarcerated Parents: Developmental and Theoretical Issues. 

The lead for research on education in prison, connecting parents to their children via education and sharing good practices as part of Novus which works with offenders to support their relationship with children and families in the UK.

Psychology lecturer in Technological University of the Shannon, in Limerick Ireland and is a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland. She is currently working on her PhD, ‘Exploring Female Well-being within an Irish Prison in development’. 

Mona worked for the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Children’s Ombudsman, leading parental training program). Since 2005 she has been supporting children of death row inmates in Uganda, helping different local NGOs to grow. She also collaborating with FIRC (Former Inmates Rehab. Center) in Ethiopia. Mona is the founder of Children of Prisoners in Stockholm (www.childrenofprisoners.se).

Currently a Senior Paralegal at a national law firm in London, Freya worked as a research assistant on the ASPIRE project, which aims to inform future support for children in Wales with a parent in prison.

Evi works with the National Addictions Authority in Cyprus, supporting children with imprisoned parents by funding and promoting the implementation of prevention programmes.

A lecturer in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Cambridge where research on the experiences of prisoner’s children and initiatives to support them has been performed.

A PhD researcher at the Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy at Ghent University. The research focuses on the sentencing of primary caregivers.

Collaborates with a partnership group at the Catalonian Penitentiary Centre Brians 2 through fundraising and the organisation of artistic activities for prisoners and their children. Also part of a team of experts and non-profit organisations coordinating projects in Argentina aimed at developing child-oriented arrest protocols and building a play centre in a federal prison in Buenos Aires.

Executive Director and Founder of Prisoners Future Foundation (Zambia).

Lawyer working in legal advice and representation.

Research and advocacy expertise in dealing with children of incarcerated parents. Ethnographic research about the experience of parental imprisonment from the personal perspective of the children themselves. Conducts trainings, lectures and keynotes. Created the first course at Howard University titled “Children of Incarcerated Parents”.

Lead Inspector – Children in Detention at HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Angus has responsibility for the inspection of young offenders’ institutes, adult prisons, immigration removal centres and police custody.

Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University. Contributed to EJPI.

Works with mothers and children in Uganda. They have started to lobby for women and children in Ugandan prisons as well as starting initiatives that provide food and soap during the festive season.

Formerly Head of Clients’ Children and Family Support Unit in the Latvian Prison Administration European Social Fund Project working to facilitate better relationships between people in prison and their families.

Researcher at the Danish National Centre for Social Research in the department for vulnerable children, day care and school. Her research focuses on children and families in vulnerable positions.

Doctoral fellow at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre which undertakes research, education and training in the area of Family Support and Youth Development with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention for children and young people experiencing adversity. Sinead is conducting PhD research on the experience of incarcerated mothers and their children in Ireland.

Social worker for families with a relative in prison at Vilnius Caritas Prisoners’ Consultation Center.

Selected for the Break Fellowship for Women Entrepreneurs. Developing program to help foster bonds between incarcerated parents and their children through supporting parents to create bedtime stories.

A senior lecturer at the University of Huddersfield as well as the International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents.

Works supporting children and families of prisoners in Tasmania Australia.

Conducts research on the rights and needs of children in educational settings. Works to support and advocate for the rights of children with imprisoned parents, minority children, socially excluded children and their families.

Researcher at Australian Catholic University working on children’s experiences of parental imprisonment.

Leading an ESRC funded research project focusing on the health & health inequalities of children with a household member in prison, & which focuses on a child-friendly & rights-based approach to visits.

Director at KENTHEA, an organisation involved in the prevention and treatment of addictions. Offers of prevention programmes consisting of social worker services, access to a psychologist and funding of alternative healthy activities.