Special Needs of Prisoners’ Children
Children who have one or both parents in prison face an additional set of challenges. In addition to dealing with the separation and irregular prison visits, they may also live in unstable and chaotic environments and be subject to social stigmas as a result of their parent's incarceration.
From: Jan C.M. Willems (ed.), Developmental and Autonomy Rights of Children: Empowering Children, Caregivers and Communities, Intersentia: Antwerp/Oxford/New York, 2002, pp. 191-207 (90-5095-224-0; www.intersentia.com)
Introduction to Children's Rights
Children of prisoners in general do not enjoy any special rights. Children's needs are not considered when a parent is sent to prison. When that happens the child's life might be turned upside down. Although they have done nothing wrong, they are punished too.
Read this introduction to children's rights...The Child's Best Interests
In Europe, Article 8 ECHR has been used quite often in family cases. It has become clear that family life and private life need to be distinguished. The rights of the child and 'the best interests' of the child have not bee
Read more about the child's best interests...Children inside Prison
Sometimes care-dependant children stay with their mother in prison. The limit of ages and also of the maximum stay differs from country to country. And also the provisions on behalf of the children are various.18 Not only the prison culture differs between countries, also values on motherhood, family life and raising children are diverse. This diversity is reflected in the variety of arrangements and provisions.
Read more about children inside prison...Children outside Prison
Children show a variety of reactions after the imprisonment of one or both parents, depending on the age of the child, the reactions in the neighbourhood or the social network, the kind of crime, the length of the imprisonment and the place.
Read more about Children outside prison...Interest of Children of Imprisoned parents - The Three Ps
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has not yet become a living charter for children of imprisoned parents. The shift from prisoners' rights to those of the child of the prisoner has not been made in most countries.
Read more about The Three PsEurochips
The European Action Research Committee on Children of Imprisoned Parents (eurochips) was set up in 1993 to provide a voice for the children of prisoners and to explore innovative, child centred approaches to maintaining the child-parent bond in different European countries.
Read more about the creation of Eurochips...
