Join us for our second annual symposium “Children Living with their Mothers in Prison: Advocacy and Alternatives” presented by the Global Prison Nursery Network, in partnership with the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law!
It’s been estimated that 19,000 children are living with one of their incarcerated parents in nearly every country in the world. However, due to the lack of official and reliable data, the actual number may be much higher. This one-day, hybrid event will bring together academics, NGOs, policymakers, and impacted people to examine and explore issues related to parental incarceration and prison nurseries, including gaps in research and placement processes that fail to consider children’s best interests.
We invite anyone who seeks to support children of incarcerated caregivers to learn with us.
Attendees must register in advance.
$50 in-person ticket/Free to Columbia students and Zoom attendees
Important details — When registering, you will indicate whether you are attending in-person or on Zoom. Room details will be emailed to all in person attendees before the event. The Zoom link will be distributed in the days prior to November 1st to the email you provide at registration. Attendees’ cameras and microphones will not be available during the symposium, however, the chat box will be enabled and monitored for the Q&A sessions.
2024 Agenda
- 9:00 – 9:10 EDT
Opening Remarks- Barbara A. Frey, J.D., Emerita Director of the Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
- Columbia Journal of Gender and Law Representative
- 9:10 – 9:30 EDT
Keynote: Age Restrictions of Children in Prison with a Primary Caregiver and Conditions of Detention
Professor Marie Claire Van Hout, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Impact, South East Technological University -
9:30 – 10:45 EDT
Panel 1: The Due Process Void: Centering the Rights of Children and Mothers- Robin Hansen, Law Professor, University of Saskatchewan; Author of Prison Born, an analysis of childbirth and incarceration in Canada
- Dr. Shona Minson, Associate, Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford
- Isabella Sánchez Di Egidio, Psychologist; Reinserta Mexico
- Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, Defense for Children International – Belgium; Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Moderated by Julie Matonich, Attorney, Co-Founder Children of Incarcerated Caregivers
- 10:45 – 11:00 EDT BREAK
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11:00 – 12:15 EDT
Panel 2: Missing Metrics: Challenges and Strategies for Data Collection on Caregivers and Children- Dr. Martha Paynter, Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of New Brunswick
- Hamed Farmand, Children’s Rights Activist; Founder and President of Children of Imprisoned Parents International
- Gretta Goodwin, PhD, Director, GAO Homeland Security and Justice team
- Catalina Rufs, Coordinator, Public Policy, Center for Studies on Justice and Society, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
- Moderated by Professor Marie Claire Van Hout, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Impact, South East Technological University
- 12:15 – 1:00 EDT LUNCH
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1:00 – 2:15 EDT
Panel 3: Parenting in Prison: A Conversation with Impacted Mothers- Serena Martin, Executive Director, New Hour for Women and Children
- Teresa Njoroge, Founder, CEO, Clean Start Africa
- Sava Dorritie, Former Prison Nursery Mother, Bedford Hills
- Moderated by Roslyn Smith, Beyond Incarceration Program Manager, V-Day
- 2:15 – 2:30 EDT BREAK
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2:30 – 3:45 EDT
Panel 4: Redefining Custody: Models for Mitigating Harm- Monica Dhawan, Director, India Vision Foundation
- Alice Quagliato, Head of Delegation Burundi, Terre des Hommes
- María Hereñú, Researcher, Criminal Policy and Prison Violence Program, Center for Legal and Social Studies Argentina
- Moderated by Stuti Shah, Doctoral Candidate, Columbia Law School
- 3:45 – 4:00 EDT
Closing Remarks: The Power of International Networks
Nancy Loucks, PhD, Chief Executive Families Outside, Scotland; Chair, International Coalition of Children With Incarcerated Parents