17th June 2024
From Wednesday 12 June 2024 until Friday 14 June 2024, Irish Penal Reform Trust Children and Families Project Coordinator Ashling Tobin travelled to Berlin, Germany to attend the Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE) annual international conference. The conference was titled ‘Let’s Talk to One Another: a cross-sectoral approach for children with a parent in prison‘. Together, attendees explored comprehensive support systems across sectors for children with an imprisoned parent.
The conference revolved around the need for cross-sectoral, holistic support to safeguard the rights and needs of children with a parent in prison, also referred to as a ‘one-roof approach’.
The event operated under the idea that to better meet the needs and rights of children with an imprisoned parent, it is essential to adopt an integrative approach that encompasses all circles of the child’s environment. This includes both the micro-environment (family, community, school) and the macro-environment (child rights defenders, decision-makers, policymakers, public and executive authorities, judicial bodies, general public, media). By joining hands, stakeholder groups can create more sustainable support solutions for children and families and identify and eliminate system gaps, promoting child safeguarding at all times.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.