• Children Living with Their Mothers in Prison:
    Advocacy and Alternatives
    2nd Annual Global Prison Nursery Network Symposium

    Friday, November 1, 2024 • Columbia Law School, New York, NY

Thank you for attending 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.

Recording   Summary   Resources

2024 Agenda

  • 9:00 – 9:10 EDT
    Opening Remarks

    • Barbara A. Frey, J.D., Emerita Director of the Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
    • Sarah Hubner, Symposium and Special Projects Editor, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
2024 Speaker Biographies