European Network on Family Group Conference
Family is asked to make a plan first
A family group conference in prison
Family group conference with an 21-years old inmate in remand in Germany, Stuttgart. He was imprisoned because of a considerably crime. He had a job and tried to graduate from school, until he was imprisoned. With the family group conference, we tried to receive his job and school and to improve his chance to get a probation from the judge. It was the second time in my town we initiated a family group conference in prison.
First the family seemed tob e unable to develop any options fort the young man. They came from another country and seemed to live in an own bubble, owerwhelmed with their life in germany, the rules and the institutions. A really great problem we got to struggle with was the pandemic situation- we didn´t new until the day before, if we could start the conference in prison as planned. There where many things to organise for the family, and time run out. The prosecutor wanted a copy oft he passport, name, age and the role of all the subscribers oft he conference. Several employees oft he prison had to be informed because oft he timing.
The familiy organised in a stunning tempo all necessary things we needed to get the permission. The inprisoned young man was very touched by the fact, that his whole familiy and his girl friend came into prison to hold the family group conference with him. After prison we hold a second conference at he familys home with family members, they didn´t get the permisson. One off them took part in form of a video conference because he was infected with corona. The family worked out an incredible plan, inclusing many day structuring offers für the young man, if he would get the permission to leave prison. That brought the whole family together.
A speciall experience for the family was, to see, that the germans inprisoned the son- and they helped the son with the family group conference. The court was very uncomprehending with the family group conference, but ultimately, the young man got the permission to leave prison and get home to his family with a probation.
A story from Germany
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