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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

We really got involved with the medals this year, from making them to handing them out. To those who were not reached, we apologise wholeheartedly. But we have good news, you won't lose them.

Na Okamih websitewho produces them for us, you can order them. When ordering enter the code YellowRibbon2025, thanks to it you will have both a medal and free shipping. Please enter the email under which you registered. Medals will come by Mail Order.

Thank you for your support.

We want the Yellow Ribbon Run to be better every year.

And right now you have a great opportunity to help us prepare.
Take a few minutes and fill out our short questionnaire. Any feedback is valuable to us.

Thank you so much for your time.

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We greatly appreciate the support of our partners, without whom the 10th annual Yellow Ribbon Run could not have taken place. Thanks for being with us and helping us spread the idea of second chances.

Jubilee 10th edition of the cross-country race Yellow Ribbon Run, which breaks down prejudices against people with criminal record and promotes their return to society, took place on June 10, 2025, with the utmost interest of the public. Overall into action Nearly 1200 participants registered. In the main part of the race, he ran nearly 650 runners, 70 active fans has been involved in VOL Fanwalk in cooperation with VOLONTÉ CZECH and Approximately 70 children raced within Connecting Hearts Children Race with support The Connecting Hearts Foundation.

The race has traditionally attracted well-known figures in public life. Runners and fans supported the actor Petr Čřetnicek, rappers Lipo, presenter and patron of the children's run Barbora Cernoškova and sports presenter Miroslav Lencwho accompanied the program as a presenting duo. Long term support for the event presenter Lucie Křížková and her husband, yachtsman David Křížek.

Professional production of the plant was provided by the team Michal Štys. He was involved in coordination Zoran Bartek, Marketing Director Czech Olympic Committee. Volunteers from the non-profit, public and private sectors have also played a significant role, especially from organizations VOLONTÉ CZECH, Companies of A-GIGA chi Recovery rooms Prison services Přední Labská and the Prison Service of the Czech Republic.

The event was also attended by prominent foreign justice representatives - Yellow Ribbon Singapore, CEP Probation and Europris.

A run that connects even behind bars

An irreplaceable part of the Yellow Ribbon Run are themselves sentencingwho participate in the race as both runners and organizers. This year, within Virtual runs in prisons engaged More than 400 convicted.

The opening of this year took place in Příbram Prison, which was already running almost all prison facilities during the Covid era. This year, 30 out of 35 prisons in the Czech Republic participated in the Yellow Ribbon Run. Three prisons — Jiřice, Karviná and Heřmanice — in addition, they prepared special running events that allowed meetings of convicts with their children and families. These powerful moments were created in collaboration with Probation and Mediation Service and show that sport can be a route to restoring both trust and relationships.

“The Yellow Ribbon Run is not just a sporting event. It's a voice for change -- a voice that says a second chance is possible. This year's edition showed how strong the community behind this project is. Thank you to everyone who runs with us -- the public, partners, volunteers and convicts alike,” he says Gabriela Slovakova, director of Yellow Ribbon Run, an important figure in Czech justice and initiator of the project in the Czech Republic, which celebrated her birthday as part of this jubilee year.

Patronage for the tenth edition of the Yellow Ribbon Run was granted by the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Justice and the Municipal District of Prague 6.

For the fourth time, philanthropist Jitka Chizzola supported the children of convicted parents with a sum of CZK 100,000.

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Jubilee 10th year Yellow Ribbon Run, a unique run to promote the return of people with criminal record back into society, this year brings not only new programmatic elements but also record-breaking public interest. More than 1000 participants have already registered for the eventwho together send a clear message: Everyone deserves a second chance.

The actor and screenwriter remain longtime backers of the run Petr Čřetnicek, presenter and patroness of children of incarcerated parents Barbora Cernoškova a rapper Lipo.

Main theme of the year: Family and community

This year's edition highlights a key role families and communities when returning people from serving sentences. A new visual style and an innovative program help to share this message across generations as well as social bubbles.

News of the 10th year:

• Connecting Hearts Children Race — free run for children and parents, in cooperation with Connecting Hearts — Foundation for Children of Prisoners & Telio Group. Each child receives a T-shirt and a small reward.
• THE FANWALK VOL — a relaxed walking route, ideal for those who want to express support even if they are not running. Families, seniors and dog handlers can get involved. The partner is VOLONTÉ CZECH o.p.s.
• EASY RELAY 4×2.5 km — for community teams, recreational runners as well as complete beginners.
• Classic 4×5 km Relay — a challenge for sports-based teams and competitive runners.

New visual style and social research

On the 10th anniversary, the brand passed Yellow Ribbon Run a redesign that reflects its values — Second Chance, Humanity and Connectivity Across Society. The transformation of the visual is based on qualitative research among the public, partners and people with criminal backgrounds.

What the research showed:

• 52% of the population does not believe that anyone who commits a crime should automatically go to prison (10% definitely not, 42% rather not).
• This attitude is more often held college students and residents of large citiesEspecially Prague.
• Conversely 47% people (more often those over 65) lean towards more severe punishment.

The full research is available here.

Social overlap

Gabriela Slovakova, founder of Yellow Ribbon Run in the Czech Republic and Europe:

“In ten years, we have helped change the perception of hundreds of people. Today we have over 1000 registered participants -- this is proof to me that the company is ready to hear, understand and give a second chance. Every step on the track is a step against prejudice. “

Registrations for the tenth annual Yellow Ribbon Run will be open online until 10:00 p.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025. Interested parties can also register at the last minute, directly to the event, i.e. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Obora Hvězda.

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Thank you The Common Law Society for an invitation to a discussion meeting with students of the Faculty of Law in Prague. Gabriela Slováková shared her experience in the field of restorative justice, working with victims and perpetrators of criminal activity and presented current challenges in the system of alternative punishment.

The discussion was open, stimulating and, above all, full of interest in the change that the young generation can bring not only to justice but also to society as a whole.

Special thanks go to the students who decided to support the idea of a second chance and specifically the Yellow Ribbon Run campaign — they will be organizing a fundraising student run in support of it at the end of April.

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Yellow Ribbon Run se díky naší ambasadorce Báře Černoškové dostal až na televizní obrazovky. Bára projekt představila v oblíbené Show Jana Krause. Jak to vypadalo? Na to se můžete podívat tady ze záznamu.

On Saturday, April 12, we attended a beautiful Children's Day at Rýnovice Prison. The latter has passed in cooperation with the non-profit organization VOLONTÉ CZECH represented Lukas Salivar and Tina Chlupáčová.

She was also in place our Veronika Friebová together with the patroness of children of imprisoned parents Barbora Černošková. A big thank you for organizing the event at Rýnovice Prison goes to educator Monica Winkler.

What did the place look like? You can do that read in the article directly on the VOLONTÉ CZECH website.

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