On the morning of Wednesday, September 18, ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ was played in the Novara Prison (Piedmont, Italy), thanks to the organisation of COPE member Bambinisenzasbarre.
In Italy, ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ was organised for the first time in 2015 in Milan and has since become a tool used to strengthen, enhance and maintain the bond between children and their imprisoned parents, one of many of the project’s objectives.
‘Game with Mum & Dad’ follows a specific model created and consolidated by the Associazione Bambinisenzasbarre, a model which can be replicated by other NGOs operating in prisons. Since July of this year, members of the COPE network have been using this model to organise games across Europe as part of the ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ 2024 project.
The game in Novara began around 10:00 a.m., when the children and those accompanying them entered the prison’s sports field, marking the culmination of months of planning and preparations. After a few minutes, they were reunited with the imprisoned fathers with greetings and hugs. Everyone involved gathered in the center of the field for a collective welcome and the distribution of t-shirts to wear during the game. Yellow for children and blue for adults.
With 8 fathers and 15 children participating, the game created a meaningful moment of connection between the children and their imprisoned parents, a key goal of the GWMD project. Lasting about an hour, it was filled with runs for the ball, shots, saves, goals and plenty of high fives.
Among those present at the event, in addition to the mothers, were legal and educational officials from the detention facility, prison guards and operators from the Essere Umani association (a social justice movement that operates in environments at risk of dehumanization). The game was also attended by Nathalie Pisano, Defender of the Rights of Persons Deprived of Personal Liberty for the Municipality of Novara, and Massimo Verzaro, representative of the Restorative Justice Center in Novara. The spectators were highly engaged, cheering from the sidelines, especially for the children, and celebrating the success of the game.
After the game, everyone—children, fathers, family members and all other attendees—gathered in a space set up on the sidelines to celebrate with delicious pizza, freshly prepared in the prison’s kitchen.
Shortly after 12:00, the imprisoned fathers said emotional goodbyes to their children and companions with warm hugs and kisses.
One father expressed his gratitude multiple times for the organisation of GWMD, appreciating the chance to share such a special and different experience. A mother was moved to see how happy her children were, noting that many had never shared such a moment with their fathers, even outside of prison.
In Italy, GWMD is organized by Bambinisenzasbarre in collaboration with the Department of Penitentiary Administration (DAP). Across Europe, it is coordinated by COPE and involves 11 countries. GWMD is a powerful tool to achieve one of our primary goals: maintaining the bond between children and their imprisoned parents.
