Children of Prisoners Europe

Children of Prisoners Europe (a non profit organisation registered in France under French Association law 1901) is a pan-European network of non profit organisations working with and on behalf of children separated from an imprisoned parent. The network, whose headquarters are based in Paris, encourages innovative perspectives and practices to ensure that children with an imprisoned parent fully enjoy their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and that action is taken to enable their well-being and development. 

We raise awareness among child-rights agencies, prison services, judges and prosecutors, police and policymakers on the specific needs of children with imprisoned parents as well as promoting initiatives that take these needs into account. Some of our main activities include:

- Expanding programmes that support the child-parent relationship and help minimise disruption to this bond

- Introducing the child's perspective at every stage of the criminal justice process, from arrest to resettlement

- Fostering cross-sphere collaboration among public and private agencies involved in supporting and making decisions about children and their imprisoned parents.

- Obtaining better, more accurate information and statistics on children with imprisoned parents

- Enhancing the competences of professionals within the field

We promote action to meet the needs and rights of children of prisoners—right to family life, right to maintain contact with an imprisoned parent, and right to greater consideration and support. Only in this way will these children be granted the freedom to be children and be offered a more secure base for life.