Not my crime, still my sentence
Children of Prisoners Europe: the COPE network
Hannah Lynn
Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE)
Fachgespräch „Kinder von Inhaftierten“
1. Dezember 2016
Berlin
Children of Prisoners Europe
Children of Prisoners Europe
Brief background
1993: First transnational meeting organised through Relais Enfants Parents) – organised
by Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF), in the Hague
1995: European Action Research Committee on Children of Imprisoned Parents
(EUROCHIPS) – grant from Bernard van Leer Foundation to explore practices and
situation in other European countries
2000: EUROCHIPS officially founded
2006: First EUROCHIPS-organised pan-European conference in Paris
2013: EUROCHIPS becomes Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE)
(Financed by BvLF & currently partly through the EU)
Children of Prisoners Europe
Some extrapolations
800,000 children of prisoners in the EU
2.1 million children of prisoners across Council of
Europe Member States
“That’s like the population of a small country”
– Ilina Taneva
Secretary
Council for Penological Co-Operation (PC-CP)
Council of Europe
Children of Prisoners Europe
What are the issues?
Policy lagging in most EU Member States
National criminal justice policies
ø child rights perspective when parent imprisoned
National child welfare policies
ø rights and needs of children of prisoners
Children of Prisoners Europe
Children of Prisoners Europe
Our Values
• Commitment – to providing high-quality effective work for the well-being of children of prisoners
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and for the COPE network;
Accountability – to children affected by parental imprisonment, to each other, and to funders;
Child justice focus – working to serve children’s best interests and promote their rights;
Respect – for each individual, for equity in diversity, placing great value on cross-cultural
learning and inclusiveness, exchanging ideas and knowledge about and from children of
imprisoned parents among COPE network members and partners;
Openness – to innovation, to embracing change, to exploring new pathways to bettering the
lives of children of prisoners, promoting understanding that they are ordinary children with
unusual life experiences;
Child participation – listening to children and young people and involving them in our work;
Cooperation – working with partners to enhance the lives of children with imprisoned parents
through dialogue, participation and consensus-building;
Integrity – remaining committed to truth, honesty, responsibility, reliability and professionalism,
acting in ways to enhance and protect COPE’s reputation;
Transparency – in relation to communication and working methods
Independence – from any religious or political party affiliation
Children of Prisoners Europe
Where does the network span?
• Only pan-European network
• Members/affiliates in 19
European counties (and some
6 internationally)
• Active within prison-related,
child rights and child-welfare
fields
• Boost awareness and new
ways of thinking, acting and
interacting
• Foster cross-sphere
collaboration (public and
private agencies)
Children of Prisoners Europe
What does COPE do?
Safeguarding
children of
prisoners’ social,
political and judicial
inclusion
Advocacy;
promoting initiatives
Activities
Strategic
partnerships
Network
development
e.g., ENOC, CRAG,
EuroPris, …
Development of
services / tools
Fostering coproduction of
knowledge
Forums
Research /
developing new
expertise (e.g.,
framing)
Data collection
Children of Prisoners Europe
COPE’s pyramid of priorities
Changing
policies
Changing
norms
Changing attitudes
and behaviour
Maximising service
provision
Children of Prisoners Europe
Memorandum of Understanding (Italy)
2014 + 2016
Italian Ministry of Justice
Ombudsman for Childhood and Adolescence
&
Bambinisenzasbarre
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Judicial orders, judgments and sentences
Children visiting prisons
Other types of contact
Training of prison staff
Information and assistance
Data collection
Children living with mothers in prison
Establishing a monitoring committee
Children of Prisoners Europe
Children of prisoners… in Europe
• 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 9, separation)
• 2000 European Network for Children of Imprisoned Parents (Eurochips) founded
• 2006 First pan-European conference on issue
• 2008 EP motion for resolution on impact of parental imprisonment
• 2009 1st EU-funded transnational project on rights of children of prisoners
• 2010 1st EU-funded transnational project with children of prisoners (n=987) on needs
• 2011 UN Day of General Discussion
• 2013 EU & UNICEF lists of “vulnerable children”
• 2014 European Parliament Resolution on the 25th anniversary of the UNCRC (Article 13)
• 2015 Written Response from Commissioner for Justice, European Commission
• 2016 Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2016-2021)
• 2016 European Parliament Written Declaration on children of imprisoned parents
• 2017 …
Children of Prisoners Europe
Advocacy in Europe: next steps
European Union
30 November 2016
Debate at European Parliament
Charter of the Rights of Children of Imprisoned Parents:
Can the Italian example become European?
“The debate aims to present the Written Declaration 84/2016 on the
protection of children of imprisoned parents supported by the Intergroup on
Children’s Rights; to discuss the challenges faced by children of prisoners; and
how we can join forces to find a common European response to protect
them, capitalising on the Italian experience.”
Children of Prisoners Europe
Advocacy in Europe: next steps
European Union
10 January 2017
Quality of Childhood session on children of prisoners
at the European Parliament
Hosted by MEP Julie Ward
&
Alliance for Childhood European Network Group
Children of Prisoners Europe
Advocacy in Europe: next steps
Council of Europe
24 November 2016
Information Society and Action Against Crime Directorate of the Council of
Europe (Human Rights and Rule of Law Directorate)
+
Council for Penological Co-Operation (PC-CP)
+
European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC)
Committee of Ministers Recommendation
on children with imprisoned parents
Children of Prisoners Europe
Challenges and priorities
CHALLENGES
• Data collection
• Policy gaps
• Abstract nature
• Cultural differences (also positive)
PRIORITIES
• Italian Memorandum of Understanding
• Non-violent role models for children
• Strategic framing for advocacy
• Data collection
Children of Prisoners Europe
Annual Network Meeting
Conference
Naples, Italy
May, 19 - 20, 2017
Vielen Dank
Henriette Heimgaertner
Former Board member
on behalf of
Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE)
[email protected]