COPE annual conference
On 13 June 2024, the international COPE annual conference “Let’s Talk to One Another: a cross-sectoral approach for children with a parent in prison” took place in Berlin, jointly organized by Treffpunkt e.V. and COPE. Over 200 participants from more than 20 countries exchanged views on the challenges and solutions for children of imprisoned parents.
The conference focused on the importance of intersectoral cooperation to overcome the specific challenges of working with children of prisoners. Topics such as improving visiting times, child-friendly environments and comprehensive support for affected families were in focus. The exchange of best practices from different countries led to innovative approaches and practical solutions. The conference was rounded off with a joint cruise on the River Spree in the evening.
The event provided important impetus for supporting children of imprisoned parents. We would like to thank all participants, supporters and organizers for their contribution to the success of the conference.
Program and conference content:
Hilde Kugler, Treffpunkt e.V. & Netzwerk KvI
Hilde Kugler is the founder and has been managing director of the organization Treffpunkt e.V. in Nuremberg for 33 years. Since then, her work has focussed on family members of people in prison. Since 2004, she has developed a series of projects and new programmes for children of prisoners. In 2018, she initiated the Netzwerk Kinder von Inhaftierten (KvI). She is currently project manager for the establishment of nationwide structural development projects between youth welfare and the justice system in six federal states. She is a member of numerous offender and youth welfare committees.
Claudia Kittel, Monitoringstelle UN-KRK
Currently head of the Monitoring Centre for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the German Institute for Human Rights, Claudia previously worked as a spokesperson for the National Coalition Germany – Network for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. She is currently also the expert chairwoman of the ‘child-friendly community’ programme of UNICEF Germany and the German Children’s Fund. Her work focuses on explaining the content of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and critically observing the realisation of all the rights of children and young people as independent rights holders enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Judith Feige, Monitoringstelle UN-KRK
Judith Feige has been working as a Senior Researcher at the CRC National Monitoring Mechanism of the German Institute for Human Rights since 2015. From 2012 to 2015, she worked as a Researcher on various projects in the Institutes Department of Human Rights Education. After completing her Master’s in Social Work as a Human Rights Profession, she worked in various areas of child and Youth Welfare and helped to set up a Counselling Centre for People with Disabilities.
Justina Dzienko, European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services
Justina Dzienko, a psychologist and biologist with a German-Polish background, is Deputy Director of EuroPris in The Hague, Netherlands. From 2015 to 2021 she worked for the Prison and Probation Administration at the Ministry of Justice Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, where she gained experience in outpatient, prison and ministerial settings. Additionally, she has worked for the forensic psychological service at the State Office for Outpatient Offender Work in Schwerin and at Waldeck Prison in Rostock, where she was also involved in a family-oriented project.
Ben Spöler, Auridis Stiftung
Since 2017, Ben Spöler has been a project manager at the Auridis Stiftung gGmbH, a non-profit funding organisation financed by ALDI SOUTH that aims to contribute to better growing-up conditions for children in disadvantaged situations in Germany. Since 2021, he has worked with Hilde Kugler from Treffpunkt e.V. to establish the ‘Children of prisoners’ field of action at the Auridis Foundation in order to bring about systemic changes in the cooperation between youth welfare and the justice system. Since this year, he has been working as an honorary juvenile judge at the district court in Düsseldorf.
Anja Seick, Freie Hilfe Berlin e.V.
Anja Seick has been working as a social worker at Freie Hilfe Berlin e.V. for 15 years. In seven years of counselling work in Berlin prisons, the topic of ‘family orientation’ became increasingly important to independent offender support. In 2016, she initiated the first father-child group in Berlin and subsequently developed a concept for a low-threshold counselling service for families affected by imprisonment. The concept has since been integrated into all of Berlin’s male’s prisons. She also headed the counselling centre for prisoners and their relatives. Since 2022, she has headed the coordination centre for Kinder von Inhaftierten-KvI Berlin.
Sergeant Russ Massie, Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit
Russ has developed the UK’s first programme that recognises and supports children impacted by parental imprisonment through an innovative use of shared statutory data. Russ’s belief is that children should be supported to succeed on their own merits and not be hindered by their circumstances or the actions of the adults in their lives. He is a regular guest lecturer and a Director of a Multi Academy Trust of primary schools in Oxfordshire and London.
Christine Maerkl, Clinical Psychologist
Christine is an accomplished clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and adult education trainer. She has held roles as a psychologist at the Special Health Center for Prisoners, scientific advisor to the General Secretary for Crime Policy, and adult education trainer for projects like CHILDfront. Christine’s publications address topics such as justice access for children with disabilities, the psychological impact of prison, and the importance of maintaining family ties for the reintegration of prisoners. Additionally, she co-founded ‘Our Big House,’ a support center for young children and their parents.
Chandra Gracias, Central Civil Court of Lisbon
Chandra Gracias is a 1st Instance judge at the Civil Court of Lisbon and a former judge trainer in Family Law at the Portuguese Judicial Academy. She has served as a seconded judge at the Supreme Court of Justice and is experienced in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Adoption, Juvenile Delinquency, and Judging with a Gender Perspective. Chandra is also a prolific speaker and lecturer on various legal issues, including family, civil, and criminal law, and is actively involved in several child protection and human rights education initiatives.
Dr. Smita Dharmamer, Aangan Trust
Dr. Smita Dharmamer is the Associate Director at Aangan Trust with over two decades of experience in child protection. She has been instrumental in advocating for children in situations of vulnerability and collaborating with government officials across various levels to enhance child protection mechanisms. At Aangan, Dr. Dharmamer is committed to creating a compassionate prison system that supports children with imprisoned parents. Her work has broadened her understanding of the world’s diversity and the unique challenges that children face. Her unwavering dedication was recognized with the Rex Karmaveer Global Fellowship Award in 2016.
Annelyn Smit, Expertisecentrum KIND
Annelyn studied Small Business & Retail Management and is an entrepreneur. She is owner of the website notmycrime.nl, as she was herself a child of an imprisoned parent. Therefore she decided that she wanted to bring about change for other people who have to deal with the imprisoned of a loved one. She has gathered a lot of experience on the topic of children with a parent in prison, and nowadays she gives lectures for several organisations to raise awareness about this important subject. Additionally, she also works for the centre of expertise K I N D, where she supports several different projects for children with a parent in prison.
Marieke van Zwam, Exodus
Marieke is working as a national project manager at Exodus, the Netherlands, since 2013 and her main focus is on the development and implementation of projects related to parenthood in detention. She developed the training ‘My child and I’, which is being organised in almost all prisons in the Netherlands, as well as the autumn camp for kids and their parent in prison. Central to these programs is the recovery of the relationship between the child and the imprisoned parent.
Graphic Recording: The conference in pictures
Photo gallery:
