Dear partners and supporters,

This year we would like to offer you the opportunity to present your organization and projects at the 11th Yellow Ribbon Run. As in previous years, this event creates a unique space for organizations, the public and the media to meet and share common values.

This year's edition will offer again attractive location with plenty of space for presentation booths as well as advertising areas in the start and finish area of the race. We expect approximately 1,000 runners and visitors, media participation and the emergence of photo and video outputs from the whole event.

Presentation options

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- Presentation stand + banner for running barriers: 5 000 CZK

- Separate banner for running barriers: 2 000 CZK

Price includes rental of advertising space, advertising and production of a banner. It is also possible to use multiple banners, for example separately for an organization and for a specific project.

At the same time, your participation will support the implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Run event and you will have the opportunity to present your work to the general public and other partner organizations.

If you are interested in this offer, please contact us.

We would love for you to join us and help spread awareness about meaningful projects that have a positive impact on society.

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Just before Christmas Eve, several brave women, clients of the Probation and Mediation Service and active members of the Yellow Ribbon community, received an invitation to an extraordinary meeting with the President of the Republic Petr Pavlo and the First Lady Eva Pavlova.

With the idea of organizing a holiday audience The Office of the President of the Republic addressed the Director of the Probation and Mediation Service and our founder Gabriela Slováková. It was the long-term work of the Yellow Ribbon, as well as the volunteer and ambassadorial activity of Barbora Černošková, who sensitively opens the topic of people with a criminal past and the effects of punishment on their children, that captivated the presidential office. Thanks to this, this topic has come to the center of attention even at the highest state and social levels.

From 2024 onwards, it will gradually opens space for an open, substantive and at the same time humane debate on penal policy. A debate that makes sense — either thanks to the patronage of the President of the Republic or through discussions on the floor of institutions such as the Chamber of Deputies.

At the end of December, Seven women from all corners of the republic went down to Prague Castle. Each of them in the past, for various reasons, came into conflict with the law and passed the execution of punishment. Today he stands firmly on his own two feet. They were able to close this chapter of life and start again thanks to the professional support, patient work of probation officers, but also through their own determination.

All these women take care of their families and loved ones with dedication, but at the same time selflessly help even people they did not know before. They educate themselves, work on themselves, develop their projects and inspire their surroundings. Whether within organizations, community activities, or just as part of Yellow Ribbon. They prove that second chances make sense.

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Source: https://pms.gov.cz/pmsayyruprezidentapetrapavla/

Have you packed all the presents under the tree yet? If not, we have one for you. We have launched registration for the 11th annual Yellow Ribbon Run. Get Christmas started and give the starting fee to your loved ones. Download Gift Voucher directly from Stopnito.cz, print it out and then go to training together:)

And beware, register now buy for 500 CZK, from mid-February, then for 600 CZK.

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‍Where do you get the voucher?

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The route to it is a little more complicated, but we will guide you, you will definitely not get lost:
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1) Go to the site Stopnito.cz and fill out the race application form.

2) In the Race category, select Gift Voucher.

3) Make the payment.

4) Download the voucher via the link shown.

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Na We will meet the launch on June 11, 2026, again in Obora Hvězda in Prague.

Take advantage of the snow-free days, put on your sneakers and hooray for the track!

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Ms D. was convicted of fraud and received a seven-year sentence. She herself admits that at some point she lost control of the situation. “I was overcharging debt with debt, I didn't know how to get out of it anymore,” narrates. For a long time, she lived in fear of when the police would ring. “When that happened, I told the officers that it was me who did it, and the verdict came with the onset... I was so relieved that it was over. No one believed it back then. “

He does not consider staying in prison easy. “Man is not himself there, he behaves differently to survive it. I didn't experience bullying there, but there were different women fighting there, yeah. So I just holed up in the bedroom and let them sort it out,” she says.

Yet he was important to her, to the realization that she never wanted to get into that situation again. From the beginning she worked, first in a workshop, later as a nurse, where she used her previous practice. Later, thanks to good results, she also got to work places with free movement outside the prison grounds, and finally she was able to drive home visits.

“I had freedom of movement, I went home every month for the weekend, then for more days. I had a low level of security, but that's not by itself, you have to work it out there,” he says.

However, in the course of serving her sentence, she was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent chemotherapy as well as several surgeries. The prison management, staff and medical staff treated her with the utmost friendliness and courtesy. Nowhere did she meet with condemnation. Through her ill health, she eventually applied for parole and the court granted her.

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Life from scratch

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After her release, she had nowhere to go. The home did not exist, the marriage still fell apart in the course of the performance, so did the relationships with the children.

“When they let me out of prison, I threw away the key to the canal house. Symbolically. There was nowhere to go back. “

She started completely from scratch. All she had was a plastic bag with which she left the prison gate. She stayed at a friend's house for the first two months, later at a hostel where she slept on a fishing chair. With the help of charities and a Christian fellowship, she quickly got back on her feet, secured normal housing and found employment as a saleswoman. She got lucky on the people around her.

“I always told everyone that I came from serving a sentence. No one condemned me. And that's the most important thing. Have at least one person who accepts you that you can talk to. “

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New life role - grandmother to maternal

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Upon her release, she learned that she would have a grandchild. However, her daughter was heavily addicted to both drugs and alcohol at the time. “I've seen her a couple of times completely covered up. It was clear that the baby boy was going to be taken away from her,” she recalls. Although she was undergoing treatment and had surgeries, she knew she wanted to take care of her grandchild. So she asked for custody.

“I couldn't live with the idea of him ending up in a children's home. “

After birth, the baby boy was placed in transitional foster care for about a year. And she drove to see him every weekend, as her health allowed. When her stable state of health as well as trouble-free behavior was demonstrated, he was entrusted to her.

Equipping a household for a small child was not easy, but other moms, neighbors, and friends helped. “We don't have luxury, we have older things, but we have it clean, pretty. And most importantly, we have each other. “ The only essential thing the little family lacked was the comfy, fold-out couch that Mrs. D. sleeps on. The old one was already falling apart and it was definitely not possible to spend the night on it. Thanks to the generous contribution from Jitka Chizzola, we were able to obtain it. Every year he donates 100 thousand crowns to support children and families who do not have it easy. Ms. D. is a client of the Probation and Mediation Service, and it was the probation officer who connected us and secured this assistance.

It is the three-year-old grandchild and the people around her that keep her not only afloat, but also in ensuring that no other similar overstep takes place.

“What am I most proud of in my life? “he ponders. “I was able to accept responsibility. And that I can live a proper life again. Now I just wish that health would last, I could continue to look after the grandchild and he was happy. “

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This year on Giving Tuesday, you have the opportunity to do a good deed while also catching your starting number for the 2026 Yellow Ribbon Run at a discounted Early Bird prize.

We start registration to the 11th year of running. Be the first to do it. In 2026, we will give a chance to children and young people who have made a mistake.

If you want to support us other than by registering, please donate any amount via Platforms Darujme.cz. Each contribution helps us devote more and more awareness, support our community activities and prepare the next year of running.

Become our partner

Giving Tuesday is also an opportunity for companies that want to support the Yellow Ribbon as partners. The partnership brings not only the support of a good cause, but also significant benefits throughout the year.

What financial partners get:

• Participation and logo at the press conference at Hilton Prague (May 2026)
• Visibility in press releases and media
• Logo on the Yellow Ribbon website and on social networks
• Logo on the stage during the race
• Placing the logo on the barriers along the route
• Logo on start numbers and diplomas
• Possibility of presentation booth on race day

Sign up to run or join our partners and help us give people with criminal backgrounds a second chance.

The yellow ribbon is picking up pace. As the number of activities and projects grew, we expanded the leadership and the team to make our work even more effective and education in the area of criminal policy to have a greater impact.

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Gabriela Slováková — President of the Association

Gabriela Slováková, Director of the Probation and Mediation Service, becomes president of the association. He will continue to focus mainly on caring for partners, developing cooperation and fundraising — that is, areas that keep the project on its feet and move it forward.

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Veronika Friebová — Association Director

The position of director is Veronika Friebová. He will continue primarily in PR, marketing and community building around the topic. We want the topic of employing people with criminal backgrounds to be seen even more and society better understood why it is so important. It will build on the Yellow Ribbon communication so far and take it one step further.

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Strengthening the expert team

A content specialist has been working with us for more than a year Veronika Halakova. It makes sure that our texts are clear and understandable to the public and experts alike.

We are now joined by two additional reinforcements:

• Sarka Flodrova will take care of the project agenda and event management.
• Renata Ohnoutkova, a social networking specialist, will lead the Yellow Ribbon's online communications.

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Stronger Volunteer Base

We are also very pleased to see the expansion of the volunteer team:

• Veronika Pleskova, an experienced attorney, will look after partners at events.
• Rene Hamrla, a longtime fan and runner of the Yellow Ribbon Run, will assume leadership of the implementation team of volunteers at the running events.

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My name is René Hamrla and I am 50 years old. I grew up in a full and contented functioning family. In my 20s, I went into business and after a very short time began to taste the first hints of “success”. I managed almost everything, and I stopped respecting the legal norms and lived in the belief that nothing could happen to me after all.

After ten years, I was convicted of attempting to cut taxes for 4 years. After 2 years, I was released and entered life with the resolution that this would not happen again. Another 10 years passed and I found the courage to go into business again. I built a business with dozens of employees and a corresponding, not small, turnover. There were accompanying problems, and I resorted to the simplest of all possible solutions in good faith. I didn't consider the consequences of my decisions and I was recapturing.

After almost 15 years since my release, I was sentenced again, this time to 6 years.

It was a huge mistake for which not only I paid, but also my whole family, my children. Unfortunately, it was only after spending several months in prison that I slowly began to realize what success really is and the values that go towards it. My life has turned inside out. And today I'm actually happy for that.

I started running in the execution of the sentence first to stay physically ready for the next life, but also because it was actually an escape to myself. I could reflect on my mistakes, come to terms with them and start looking slowly on, at the life that would come after release. At the time, I perceived the dismissal itself as a very difficult and complex step.

This is the case today, more than a year later. It was a mixture of difficult and crucial decisions that each of us, the released prisoners, must make. Despite the disfavor of social habits and prejudices that we encounter on a daily basis. And not only in their job search, but also in their families, whom we have let down so much. In all of this, I try to stay grounded in my beliefs and values, which I think are finally the right ones. It's the trickier path, but I believe it's the right one to permanently integrate into a stable family and society.

With my openness to the past, I try to make people judge us not by the superficial information that comes to them and criminal records, but by how we approach life and the fulfillment of our personal and social responsibilities.

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Společně s platformou Děti jsou taky lidi a Zdeňkou Šíp Staňkovou jsme spustili nový podcast Vězni jsou taky lidi. Přinášíme v něm rozhovory s odborníky i lidmi s osobní zkušeností, kteří otevírají témata, o nichž se u nás příliš nemluví. Dotýkáme se toho, jak zásadně nás formuje dětství a prostředí, ve kterém vyrůstáme. Věříme, že pochopení těchto souvislostí je klíčem k prevenci kriminality. Zároveň ale pomáhá i odsouzeným najít způsoby, jak po propuštění žít bez návratu k trestné činnosti

Důležitým tématem jsou také děti vězňů – v Česku jich žije až 40 tisíc. O jejich situaci se mluví málo, a přitom i ony jsou často skrytými oběťmi.

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1. díl – Gabriela Slováková, ředitelka Probační a mediační služby

Gabriela Slováková působí ve vězeňství od roku 2003. Vedla ženskou i mužskou věznici, dnes stojí v čele Probační a mediační služby a je iniciátorkou Yellow Ribbon Run v ČR. Povídáme si s ní nejen o dětství odsouzených, ale i o jejich dětech, o mediaci, o roli Probační a mediační služby, i o tom, proč je důležité dávat druhé šance.

‍„Někdo, kdo vyrůstá v nevyhovujícím prostředí, ke špatnému chování rodičů získá celoživotní odpor, a někdo naopak zapadne do toho vzorce.“

První díl podcastu si poslechněte tady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TT5MYPpj4c&list=PLF3z0mHEWiIVQzirIZikkwS32nJlzNXnA&index=3

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2. díl – Josef Hrubý, vězeňský terapeut

Vězeňský terapeut Josef Hrubý už řadu let pracuje s odsouzenými ve Vinařicích. Vede skupinové terapie, kde se lidé učí porozumět emocím, zvládat agresi a hledat příčiny svého chování. V rozhovoru vysvětluje, proč je terapie ve vězení důležitá a jak může pomoct k životu bez návratu k trestné činnosti.

„Recidivu máme okolo 70 %, ale v tom našem terapeutickém programu díky tomu, že se jim intenzivně věnujeme, je jen kolem 30 %. U té práce mě drží to, že my jsme s těmi kluky v kontaktu i venku a vidíme, že žijou dobře, mají rodinu, práci, splatili si dluhy...tohle nám dává energii.“

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Druhý díl podcastu najdete tady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAs_cgV8NN4&list=PLF3z0mHEWiIVQzirIZikkwS32nJlzNXnA&index=2

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3. díl – Sláva, odsouzený z Věznice Vinařice

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Sláva si odpykává 17 let za vraždu. Otevřeně mluví o tom, proč se to stalo, co ho k činu vedlo a jak ho vězení proměnilo. Jeho osobní zpověď ukazuje, že i za mřížemi lidé hledají cestu k pochopení sebe sama a k nové budoucnosti. Je součástí terapeutické skupiny, kterou vede Josef Hrubý, s nímž jsme si povídali ve druhém díle.

„Osm let jsem tady ve skupinové terapii. Za tu dobu jsem zjistil, že jsem schopnej přijmout zodpovědnost za svoje činy, přijmout vinu, to, že chybuju a jsem člověk, že jsem schopnej se se svýma chybama vyrovnat...“

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Třetí díl si můžete pustit tady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0JOOpyLVj0&list=PLF3z0mHEWiIVQzirIZikkwS32nJlzNXnA&index=1

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Pokud vás série zaujala, budeme rádi za sdílení na sítích. A nezapomeňte nás sledovat, ať vám neunikne další díl.

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Zdeňka Šíp Staňková is creating a new series of podcasts “Prisoners are also people” in cooperation with the Yellow Ribbon project. The aim is to show the impact that imprisonment has not only on the convicts themselves, but also on their children and entire families.

Presenter Zdeněka Šíp Staňková will conduct open interviews with both experts and people who have personal experience of serving sentences or returning to freedom.

The first part will introduce Gabriela Slováková, Yellow Ribbon Run and the work of the Probation and Mediation Service.

The series wants to break down prejudices, open uncomfortable topics and look for ways in which society can help families affected by prison.

Follow us on the internet so you don't miss any part.

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Well-known rapper, singer and lyricist Lipo, who is an ambassador for the Yellow Ribbon Run initiative, is preparing a music video for the song Sara, which tells the story of finding a second chance and a way out of a difficult life situation. On the song he collaborated with Kuba Ryba, frontman of the band Rybička 48. The project is created in collaboration with Yellow Ribbon, which has been helping people start again after serving a sentence for ten years.

“The song Sara tells the story of a man who is looking for a way back into life, learning to take responsibility for his mistakes and trying to give a second chance to himself and the people around him,” says Lipo.

“Together with Cuba Ryba, we wanted to give this song even more power, not only musically, but also humanly, and thus send a message to society. “

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Helping children who did not choose fate

In the Czech Republic, according to non-profit organizations, there are up to 40,000 children whose parents are in prison. These children often face stigma, loneliness, and psychological or economic problems.

“We don't talk much about the children of incarcerated parents. At the same time, they are the most vulnerable,” says Veronika Friebová, PR and community care manager at Yellow Ribbon.

“It's important that these themes reach the public domain through music that has the power to reach a broad audience across generations. “

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Music for Change

The clip will be filmed, among other things, in the premises of Jiřice Prison and will involve people who have their own experience of returning to life after serving a sentence. The themes of parenting and the parent-child relationship will be part of the story.

“Music is a powerful tool, it can open up complex social topics in a way that is accessible, emotional and understandable,” says Gabriela Slováková, initiator of the Yellow Ribbon Run in the Czech Republic and director of the Probation and Mediation Service.

“By collaborating with artists like Lipo and Kuba Ryba, we are taking criminal policy awareness to a whole new level. “

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The largest campaign about second chances in the Czech Republic

The song and story in the clip Sáro follows the ten-year anniversary of Yellow Ribbon Run, the largest awareness event in the Czech Republic aimed at integrating people with criminal pasts. Its aim is not only to break down prejudice, but also to contribute to a safer society. The premiere will take place in autumn 2025.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Prison Service of the Czech Republic and the management of Jiřice Prison for their willingness and support not only in the implementation of filming, but also in our other projects.

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I was irresponsible and selfish because I didn't think about when I went to prison, what about the kids... that it would hurt them and the family. “

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“These people come out of jail with nothing. Unless they have someone who gives them a helping hand, who pulls them up, who sees them as a person and not as a prisoner, it's awfully hard for them to start over. “

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“The fact that there are a lot of perpetrators of crime means that there are a lot of victims. If we want fewer victims, we have to work with the perpetrator. We have to teach him other patterns of behavior, we have to give him a chance to see a better tomorrow and we cannot think that it ends with him walking out of prison when he has nowhere to go... “

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“A third of the people are the ones who don't go back to that prison again because they're there episodic - they have a good family, a job. They have failed, but they know the advice and someone will take care of them. Then there is a third that goes back there, it has become such a lifestyle for them, but not because they yearn to live in prison, but because you have nowhere to go outside and no one wants you. That third includes extremely dangerous people who need to be locked up. And then there's a third, and those are the ones we need to work with so they don't come back. “

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What is the path from prison to freedom and into ordinary life? What is it like when you get a second chance and can start again and better after leaving prison? What are the current challenges of Czech prisons? Lumír, a dad of three and a man who spent several years in prison, shares his experience in the podcast Don't Be Away. The second guest is Gabriela Slováková, founder of Yellow Ribbon Run and director of the Probation and Mediation Service. Podcast completo Listen on Youtube.

Ve spolupráci s VOLONTÉ CZECH jsme v květnu uspořádali virtuální běh a dětský den za mřížemi věznice Jiřice. Poprvé tak mohli běžci běžet společně se svými blízkými přímo ve věznici a zažít tak podporu svých rodin. Program zpestřila rodina jednoho z běžců a setkání se zúčastnili i zástupci komunity. Akci podpořili naši ambasadoři Barbora Černošková a Lipo.

Podívejte se, jaká tam byla atmosféra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbCapmCjfuc