The autumn phase of ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ kicked off on September 9 in Avellino (a town of 50,000 inhabitants, founded by the ancient Romans as “Abellinum”), half an hour from Naples, Italy.
After nearly a year of preparation, the game finally began at 10am at the high-security ‘Antimo Graziano’ Correctional Facility, where 15 children joined their imprisoned parents for a game together.
It was a rainy day, interrupting the game multiple times and forcing players and spectators to take shelter. But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of children and parents involved, nor the excitement of spending a few hours together chasing a ball – an occasion that seems ‘normal’, but is far from ordinary when it comes to a confined environment like a prison.
A particularly moving moment arose when the children wanted to keep playing despite the rain, while the fathers tried to engage them in other activities to prevent them from getting wet and catching a cold. It was a precious chance for imprisoned fathers to connect with their children, to provide parental support in a rare way.
“When I was outside, I never did this; it was always their mother who took care of them.”
– an imprisoned father
After the game, the children, imprisoned parents and family members gathered for pizza, which is always a must after a game in Italy!
As in the summer phase of ‘Game with Mum & Dad’, adults wore blue shirts, while children wore yellow t-shirts, all designed and created by the graphic team at Bambinisenzasbarre.
Launched in Italy in 2015 by Bambinisenzasbarre, these games have proven to be a very effective tool for stimulating, strengthening and enhancing the bond between imprisoned parents and their children. In Italy, they are organised as an annual project, rather than just a sporting event inside a prison, in collaboration with the Department of Prison Administration (DAP). They sit as part of a wider European project ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ organised by the Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE) network.
