Quality of Childhood session on children of prisoners
November 14, 2016
On 10 January 2017, MEP Julie Ward and the Brussels-based Alliance for Children European Network Group are planning a two-hour Quality of Childhood (QoC) session at the European Parliament devoted to the issue of children with imprisoned parents. COPE has been invited to co-organise the session. The QoC session will provide a good opportunity to
Poland: COPE advocacy and research mission
November 11, 2016
October 2016 “I use Skype to speak to my 11 year old son” – the effective use of this telecommunications tool was one of the first things we learnt when speaking to a female inmate from the Śledczy Grochów prison in Warsaw. The fifteen-minute weekly Skype session is granted in addition to the one hour
Pact secures ALP accreditation
November 10, 2016
Last month, COPE member Pact secured ALP (Accrediting Learning Professionally) accreditation with Skills for Justice for three of their prison-based relationship and parenting programmes (Building Stronger Families, Building Bridges and Time to Connect). Pact is now a Skills for Justice Approved Awards Centre. For more information: http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/news/prison-relationship-education-parenting-courses-now-accredited-skills-justice CEO, Andy Keen-Downs, said: “I’m incredibly proud of Pact’s
European Custody and Detention Summit
November 7, 2016
14-15 November 2016 Tower of London Complete with workshops, roundtables and technology demonstrations, the European Custody & Detention Summit is a unique forum bringing together custody providers and policymakers to share perspectives, best practice and innovations. Sessions include: Transforming Global Custody; Mental health and police detention; Restorative justice in intercultural settings; Supporting Women in Custody and
Separated Children in Judicial Proceedings
October 29, 2016
On 27 and 28 October 2016, COPE member Rachel Brett spoke at the Separated Children in Judicial Proceedings conference in Brussels, which was hosted by the Committee of Regions. Rachel’s plenary presentation focused on trans-European perspectives on cross-border justice for children and COPE’s previous collaboration with the AIRE Centre on a joint third party intervention
Advocating for children with imprisoned parents: A frame-reflective approach
October 16, 2016
The COPE network is pioneering a frame-reflective approach to advocacy on behalf of children with imprisoned parents, looking at how messages are being communicated and the import of language. Expert meetings have been organised to lay out the theoretical framework with respect to working with children affected by parental incarceration and to developing a specific
Written Declaration on the protection of the children of imprisoned parents
October 11, 2016
On 12 September, ten Members of the European Parliament placed a Written Declaration (WD) on the protection of children with imprisoned parents before the parliament under Rule 136 of the body’s Rules of Procedure. Read the text here. The sponsoring MEPs, members of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Children’s Rights, include Patrizia Toia (Italy), Sergio Gaetano
Data collection and children affected by parental incarceration
October 3, 2016
Based on COPE’s estimates, 800,000 children have a parent in prison on any given day in the European Union, a figure that rises to 2.1 million when all Council of Europe countries are included. The total number of children affected throughout a year is likely even higher again, given that the total number of people
Database on CRC Concluding Observations on children of prisoners
September 30, 2016
The Working Group on Child of Incarcerated Parents of Child Rights Connect has launched a seminal database on Concluding Observations of the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child which specifically mention children affected by parental incarceration. Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), a member of the Children of Prisoners Europe network, created this database which includes
COPE invited to meet with new FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty
September 20, 2016
“Europe is facing a crisis in terms of the respect of fundamental rights” New Director of the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA), Michael O’Flaherty’s meeting with civil society representatives in France, including the Children of Prisoners Europe network left those present motivated and hopeful, but not without a feeling of having been
