Do not punish the children

18th October 2004 The Swedish Prison and Probation Service issued a series of orders on September 15 in response to a Spring 2004 report on prisoners’ children released by the Children’s Ombudsman. The report, entitled “Do not punish the children,” maintained that conditions for children with incarcerated parents in Sweden were unacceptable in many ways … Read more

Initiative launched in the Netherlands

15th October 2004 In mid-October, an initiative was launched in the Netherlands to have volunteers from the Exodus Foundation accompany children on prison visits to imprisoned fathers, as part of an extended visits program operating in four of the nation’s prisons: De Geerhorst, Roermond, Rotterdam and Krimpen a/d IJssel. Approximately seventeen volunteers are now accompanying … Read more

The Impact of Imprisonment on Family Ties

2nd October 2004 The association Bambinisenzasbarre organized a two-day training course in Milan on September 9-10, 2004 entitled “The Impact of Imprisonment on Family Ties”. The event, a Eurochips initiative, was supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation in The Hague in collaboration with the Fédération des Relais Enfants Parents (FREP) in France . It … Read more

Eurochips makes a series of recommendations

 2nd October 2004 During the recent ad hoc Conference of Directors of Prison Administration (CDPA) and Probation Service, organized jointly by the Council of Europe and the Italian Ministry of Justice in November, the European Committee for Children of Imprisoned Parents (EUROCHIPS) made a series of recommendations in light of the updating of the European … Read more

Norwegian Red Cross launches new program

1st October 2004 The Norwegian Red Cross, which oversees some thirty visits centers for offenders’ families and kin (Norway has forty prison establishments), is launching a new program specifically aimed at children with imprisoned parents. As part of the project, the Red Cross will be carrying out a special training program for volunteers to accompany … Read more

England’s prisons encouraged to hold special events

27th September 2004 England’s prisons are being encouraged to hold a special event to bring together prisoners and their families during the month of October. The Family Friendly Prison Challenge has been launched by the London-based association Action for Prisoners’ Families, a Eurochips member, in partnership with HM Prison Service and the Department for Education … Read more

APF Annual General Meeting and Conference

 22nd September 2004 Action for Prisoners’ Families is holding its Annual General Meeting and Conference at an all-day event in London on November 4. The theme for the day is “Why Be Family Friendly,” and guest speakers include Mr. Phil Wheatley, Director General of the Prison Service, and Mrs. Cheryl Gillan, Conservative Party Shadow Minister … Read more

KIDS VIP commissioned to produce good practice framework

19th September 2004 The prison service for England and Wales has commissioned KIDS VIP to produce a good practice framework for children maintaining contact with their parents in prison. The aim is to set out the benefits of child-friendly prisons, the requirements and the possibilities. There is much good practice available to share , but … Read more

Time magazine runs an article

15th September 2004 The September issue of Time magazine (Europe) ran an article about recent trends in philanthropy and how, with many countries facing shrinking government budgets, companies in Europe are increasingly stepping in to back charity projects. Marie-France Blanco and Relais Enfants Parents (REP) of France were featured in the piece, as was the … Read more

Steering committee

15th August 2004 During a recent meeting in Bonn organized by the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Straffälligenhilfe, a federal association regrouping associations in Germany working on behalf of people dealing with the justice system, a steering committee focusing on working with prisoners’ families explored a series of issues. Criminologist Anne-Marie Klopp* presented the European network EUROCHIPS and … Read more