All actions that penal institutions can carry out in the field of child-oriented work can be divided into three levels: 1) the facilitative level, 2) the active level, and 3) the intensive level.
1. Facilitative level: Actions at this level are about facilitating opportunities for families to maintain meaningful family contact during detention. We also call this the basic level. Think of the child-friendly layout of the rooms, the regular organization of family activities, but also the registration of family-related information. In principle, these actions reach all children who have contact with their parent in detention.
2. Active level: Actions at this level are about actively supporting families to minimize the negative impact of detention on families. Characteristic of this level is that active steps are taken by the penitentiary. This includes actively asking about parenting-related topics during mentor meetings and actively taking steps to inform parents in detention and their family members about the possibilities of maintaining contact. It may also include offering courses and training for parents and families.
3. Intensive level: This level mainly concerns intensive support for parents in detention and their family members. This involves offering a structured, intensive program to minimize the negative impact of detention on families, and to make the return to family life after detention as smooth as possible. Consider, for example, tailor-made plans for families. The fatherwing program in Veenhuizen is an example of this. Due to its more intensive nature, this is usually not suitable for all families, so that the number of children reached is relatively smaller.