The 9th annual of the race against prejudice is here. Hundreds of runners will wear the yellow ribbon to support the integration of people with the criminal past. The Czech Yellow Ribbon Run inspires European countries.
Prague, 11th June 2024 – The 9th Yellow Ribbon Run will take place on Tuesday 11th June. This year over 900 people are registered for the run. Hundreds of runners stood up for a second chance for dads with the criminal records. And hundreds will stand at the event for the public, which is also the highlight of the year. The race and the accompanying Yellow Ribbon Run program will take place in the tourist attractive locality and around the Marvánek pond in Říčany in the suburb of Prague. Supporters from state institutions, NGOs and private companies regularly participate in the run, which support not only the idea of the Yellow Ribbon, but also the employment of people after serving their sentence.
The event is supported by the Czech celebrities. There will be around one hundred runners from European countries who will support the idea and are also going to plan the event in their countries. The first European Yellow Ribbon Runs are planned to be organized by justice and non-profit organizations in Norway, Croatia, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania.
The mission of the Yellow Ribbon Run project has been education and support for the integration of people with a criminal past. In particular, to break down numerous prejudices, to give people with a criminal history and their families a second chance for a decent life, contributing to the prevention of crime, reduction of recidivism, awarness and greater safety in society.
„Men are the majority of the prison population. In the 9th annual of the Czech Yellow Ribbon Run, we are focused especially on dads with a criminal history and projects that offer them direct support, for example how to acquire better parenting habits and not lose contact with their children,“ says the initiator of the Yellow Ribbon Run and director of the criminal policy dept. of the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic, Gabriela Slováková.
There are organized separated events for convicts in prisons as part of each years annual called Yellow Ribbon Days in prisons so hudnreds of offenders can register and run against prejudice. The so-called virtual runs started with the opening ceremony of the 9th year in Bělušice Prison, which was also part of the Pappa Programme inspired by Norway. Every year 25 out of 35 prisons in the Czech Republic regularly participate in the event.
This year, almost four hundred convicts ran and are still going to run directly in prisons.
The Yellow Ribbon Growing European as part of bilateral cooperation, a „hub“ is being created in the Czech Republic, which inspires awareness abroad as well. Up to a hundred runners from a total of twenty European countries will take part in the Czech run. For example, runners from the Norwegian Prison Service (Kriminalomsorgen), the association of European probation services CEP (Confederation of European Probation) or representatives of the international network Rescaled, which aims to establish community prisons, will participate.
There will be European representatives from those countries:
Yellow Ribbon Run Growing European Together – Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Croatia
CEP (Confederation of European Probation) – Norway, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, England, Italy
Rescaled – Romania, Norway, The Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Portugal, Germany, Croatia, Austria, Finland, Malta
Kontakt:
Veronika Friebová
PR Manager
Žlutá stužka z. s.
mobil +420 778 457 229