Children of Prisoners Europe

COPE is a centre of expertise and the leading trans-European network working for and with children with imprisoned parents, providing an action-oriented policy framework that pools European Union (EU), Council of Europe (COE) and United Nations( UN) action, while bringing national-level action in Europe on the rights and needs of these children under one umbrella. Children must cope with the loss of contact with their parent during this crucial period, and require additional support for their own mental health and wellbeing. COPE and its partner organisations across Europe are working to help maintain the bond between children and their parents in prison; to ensure that information circulates with respect to the parentʼs health situation and whereabouts; and to help dismantle stigma for chilldren and better support them. Meanwhile, COPEʼs advocacy and policy work continues to raise the visibility of children with imprisoned parents higher up EU, COE and UN child rights agendas (eg, March 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on children’s rights to maintain ongoing contact with a parent in prison, citing COPE’s amicus brief submitted to the Court; 2022 European Union Strategy on the Rights of the Child recognising children with a parent in prison as a group of vulnerable children and promoting child-friendly justice; September 2020 European Union Child Rights Forum; 2019 European Parliament Resolution for the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and with respect to prison-related issues (eg UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty). COPE impetus in helping merge child rights and prison-related ʻsilosʼ at the COE resulted in the Council of Europe milestone CM/Rec (2018)5 Recommendation concerning children with imprisoned parents. COPEʼs co-drafting, promotion, implementation and monitoring of CM/Rec (2018)5, as well as the child-friendly version in 9 languages created by children andyoung people impacted by parental imprisonment across Europe have brought huge added value. The 2022 EU Strategy on the Rights of Children specifically calls on EU Member States to implement the Council of Europe Recommendation concerning children with imprisoned parents CM/Rec(2018)5, and the 2023 European Court of Human Rights ruling cites CM/Rec(2018)5 as well as COPE. CM/Rec (2018)5 was further mainstreamed and promoted with revised European Prison Rules (July 2020) and in turn provides leverage, expertise and childrenʼs perspectives (CIPs and infants co-residing with parents in prison), feeding into current work on EU Minimum Standards on pre-trial detention. COPE continues to promote the child rights perspective in EU directives fostering mutual trust and cross-border cooperation (eg working to promote childʼs right to maintain regular contact with a parent as per CRC Art 9 as a factor in the parentʼs eligibility for transfer (as per Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA, Art. 4 providing criteria for forwarding a judgment to another Member State: references to where a person ‘lives’ incorporating elements of family ties). This takes on greater salience and larger proportions for COPE in 2021 with its focus on safeguarding children of foreign nationals in prison. COPEʼs joining forces with other European networks (eg EuroPris, Eurochild, CRAG, ERGO) merges COPE synergies with those of partner networks, for exponential effect, adding leverage to for example Commission Recommendation C(2017)2600 of 26 April 2017 on the European Pillar of social rights stipulating that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the right to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities and to targeted and reinforced support to ensure equitable access to social rights (eg Call for Action on Children in Alternative Care, with Lumos and Hope and Homes). COPE contributes new expertise on framing: As a champion of universal values, the EU can further help children by influencing the language that accompanies advocacy and policies in Member States on their behalf. COPE is seen as the European arm working closely with International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP) network.