The Family Relations workshop was organised in Vienna, Austria on 11-12 April, and it was kindly hosted by the Austria Federal Ministry for Constitution, Reform, Regulation and Justice.


Having a parent / family member in prison can have a significant impact on the lives of partners, children and siblings. From the moment of their parent’s arrest, and throughout the sentencing and execution of the sentence, especially children are affected. After two years of fruitful exchange and the publication of a comprehensive Good Practice Collection, the EuroPris Family Relations expert group presented their work at the workshop. The expert group aimed to discuss the following main topics:

  • Community involvement
  • Intervention programs
  • Visiting facilities
  • Staff training
  • Communication

Next to that, best practices from among others Italy and Wales, presented the Council of Europe recommendation on children with imprisoned parents, family strategies developed in Scotland and Ireland. Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE) has been a member of the EuroPris expert group and was also involved in the discussions and presented their latest work.