Eurochips partner Czech Helsinki Committee (CHC), in cooperation with Czech Television, has produced a documentary entitled “When Daddy Is Behind Bars“.
The 30 minute film, was broadcast on September 8th as part of the television show “Family Crosses” in the Czech Republic. English subtitles are being added to the film in order to broaden the audience.
The story follows a 5-year-old boy named Jirka whose father is incarcerated following the death of the boy’s mother He is currently taken care of by his grandmother. His father has sought prison-visit rights for two years against the wishes of the grandmother, who blames the child’s father for the death of her daughter and believes the prison environment is unsuitable for visits with children.
CHC aims to improve these cheerless relationships and renew the family ties between the father and his son. The documentary also describes the duration and conditions of assisted visits within the women’s prison of Světlá nad Sázavou. The organisation has cooperated with this prison since the dawn of their program for children with imprisoned parents in 2007.