The penitentiary in Veenhuizen (PI) is in the spotlight because of an initiative that gives more attention to the children of detainees. Together with the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the prison has won the so-called ‘EuroPris Prison Achievement Award’.
The PI owes the prize to the ‘Innovatiewerkplaats Gezinsapproach’ within the walls of the Esserheem prison. This workshop has been in existence since 2018 and from here 140 students of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences have contributed to the ‘family approach’ in recent years. For example, the students conduct practice-oriented research and develop all kinds of projects and products together with prison staff. This can be used to improve the contact between the child and the father who is in custody.
The starting point of the family approach is that more attention is paid to the children of detainees, with the aim, among other things, of preventing detention damage in children whose fathers are in detention and breaking through certain family situations.
It is the first time that the prize, for which there were 24 contenders, has been awarded. This was received today by branch director Marie-Anne de Groot in Seville. “A wonderful appreciation for a special initiative,” she says. “It is also very nice and good that students can literally take a look inside the prison walls and play a role together with our staff to keep the contact between children and their fathers as good as possible, despite the detention.”