Milan, Italy. Inside San Vittore prison — a 19th-century penitentiary complex originally built in the green suburbs and now in the city centre — a “Game with Mum and Dad” event was held. On this occasion, the activity took the form of a mini table football tournament. As always, the project was managed and implemented by the Bambini senza sbarre Ets Association.
The model for the “Partita con Mamma e Papà” (Game with Mum & Dad) project was created in 2015 in San Vittore (when a nice courtyard was available) by the very same Bambinisenzasbarre, and it is based on the idea that any form of game between children and their imprisoned fathers/mothers becomes a “very special conversation” where “one against the other” actually means “one with the other”, fostering deep complicity and interpersonal communication.
‘This table is too small for you! It was made for me,’ Lil, 4-year-old girl
The “Game with Mum & Dad” model was designed and implemented as a tool to strengthen the bond between imprisoned parents and their children and, in the long term, as a shared and collaborative tool for changing the prison itself.
This year’s event began with a Bambinisenzasbarre worker already present at the institution gathering the fathers in a symbolic “changing room”. There, he explained the programme and guidelines, emphasising the value of active participation and the role of each parent as a “key player” — not only on the small playing field but in life.
The worker was joined by two volunteers from the table football association, which is a partner in organising the day. They set up a table football table for adults and a very small one for children, explained the rules and distributed the GWMD t-shirts, yellow for children and navy blue for adults.
At 10 a.m., the children, accompanied by their mothers or grandmothers, entered the play area.
‘You can’t run. You know we’re in prison here.’ David, 7-year-old boy
The fathers welcomed their families and handed out GWMD T-shirts to their children. This is one of the most important moments of the project, when the imprisoned parents “give” their children something to wear and dress them up, an action so common in everyday family life but exceptional and unique in a place separated from the outside world such as prison.
A group photo symbolically kicked off the activity. The rules were explained, then the games began in rotation. Those waiting took turns drawing or playing baby football. Ric and Frank’s daughters made a poster signed by everyone. The institute’s educator followed the games.
Two daughters of two imprisoned fathers created a poster to commemorate the day, with the large multicoloured inscription “Game with Mum & Dad” and the signatures of all those who took part in the project.
The atmosphere was naturally collaborative, with the involvement of a wide range of individuals, including children, external workers, families, imprisoned parents, officers and educators. There was only a brief moment of disappointment for Ili, who was consoled by her father who, in his regained parental role, took the opportunity to remind his little girl that in life you win some and you lose some.
The tournament was won by Giuli’s family, with his mother taking over from her daughter in the final stages. After applause, everyone moved to the inner courtyard for refreshments of pizza and focaccia prepared by the women’s section of the prison.
Two imprisoned fathers, paired with their respective daughters, face off in one of the matches organised in a real tournament. The tournament was won by Giuli’s family
Once again, the event achieved some of its key objectives: to offer imprisoned parents a recreational and educational context in which to exercise their parental role and to allow their children to experience a moment of family normality within the prison walls.
‘You can’t do it. Dad, you can’t do anything.’ Aura, 5-year-old girl
The GWMD projects (see) taking place in Italy (around a hundred each year) are part of the GWMD campaign of Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE), the pan-European network working with and on behalf of children with imprisoned parents, which includes 146 NGOs from 41 countries worldwide. COPE (see) is the main partner of the campaign, while Bambinisenzasbarre is the executive partner.
