News

Within the secured area of Stráž pod Ralskem Prison, on March 28, 2026, a qualifying race for the upcoming 11th annual Yellow Ribbon Run. 110 inmates successfully completed the two-kilometer course.This year's participation confirms the continuously growing interest in our sports and motivational activity. The entire event proceeded without complications thanks to the precise organization by the prison staff, who had to coordinate the start in groups due to the high number of runners.

Runners competed not only for self-confidence but also for attractive prizes – the top three in each group received thanks to the support of the General Directorate of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic an official Yellow Ribbon Run T-shirt, and the overall best received diplomas and tangible prizes.

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On Wednesday, March 25th, runners emerged from the gates of Heřmanice Prison – individuals who would likely never have met under normal circumstances. Among them were representatives of authorities, NGOs, companies, 17 convicted individuals, and 2 former inmates. All wearing the same yellow ribbon t-shirt, they ran together to Komenský Gardens. This marked the start of the 11th annual Yellow Ribbon Run, a run against prejudice.

In total, around a hundred people arrived from 13 organizations. At the finish line, families awaited the convicted individuals; for many of them, this was one of the few shared moments during their entire sentence. The run served as a reminder that punishment should not be a final end, but an opportunity for a new chapter in life.

The 11th annual event will be dedicated to children and young people who have made a mistake

This year's event, whose main public event takes place on June 11, 2026, at Hvězda Game Reserve in Prague, focuses on the theme of a second chance for children and young people in conflict with the law. It highlights support, responsibility, and mental health for those who have made a mistake. Would you like to meet us? Register and we look forward to seeing you at the start.

We thank our partners and ambassadors for running with us and supporting us.

We are very proud that our founder, Gabriela Slováková, secured first place in the international platform Women Changing the World Awards, as part of the Global Impact Award. This platform connects, recognizes, and supports women with the courage to change the world for the better. This award is a testament to her more than twenty years of work in the field of corrections, her courage to address difficult topics, and her perseverance in promoting more modern practices within the justice system.

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The 10th annual Yellow Ribbon Run is already at the door. How to get to the event and where to park?

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PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

Obora Hvězda is easily accessible by trams 22 and 25, Obora Hvězda stop. Other nearby stops are “Petriny” or “Vypich. “

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Arrival by car and parking:

In the morning or in the morning you can come to the venue, where you need to unload everything necessary for your stand and its equipment. Subsequently, it is necessary to re-park the car because we are located in the residential zone of Prague 6 with limited parking possibilities. Park can be found in adjacent streets, on paid parking near Kaufland Vypich or free of charge at U Vojtěška 11, 162 01 Prague 6, in the Markéta area.

The pre-sale of Gabriela Slováková's book, "Criminal Women: Stories of Guilt, Punishment, and Second Chances," has just begun. You have the chance to purchase it with a 20% discount, until May 12th. And if you enter code YRR2026, you'll get free shipping.

The book addresses the important topic of prejudice, failure, and second chances, inviting readers to a deeper understanding of human destiniesthat often remain hidden behind prison walls. Open interviews about serving sentences and second chances form the core of the book.

In a series of interviews with women both during and after their sentences, Gabriela Slováková uncovers stories of darkness, naivety, and folly, but also of hope and the power of a helping hand. The book offers not only a glimpse into life behind bars but also insight into the workings of the Czech prison system and probation service.

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Contest - Escape Prejudice with a Book in Hand

Purchase your entry for the Yellow Ribbon Run 2026 and comment on our contest post on social media that you'll be running with us in June. This automatically enters you into a draw for one copy of the book. Already have your entry? Perfect! Just leave a comment.

The contest ends at midnight on May 17th. Gábina will personally draw the winner at the book launch. For complete contest rules, please read them on our website.

There really isn't a mistake in the headline. Gabriela publishes a book full of interviews with women who have undergone punishment, within the publishing house Nastole Media. What will you find in it? Strong stories (not only) from behind the walls of the prison in Světlá nad Sázavou from her time as director. Why did they find themselves here? How do some of them live today, after many years since release? Was their path to a better life straight or did they look behind the prison gates again? How did they manage this life test? And can they find in their life stories the common reasons that put them behind bars?

The book is due out on May 14, 2026. Follow us so you don't miss a better price in pre-sale.

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In the winter months, neither we nor our ambassadors were shrouded. Bára Černošková spoke about Yellow Ribbon several times, for example in a podcast Katerina Osičková's Bubbles.

You can also listen to it in CharitAlk, where he talks in even more detail about how the execution of the sentence affects the loved ones of the convict, his family and, above all, children, who are often invisible victims of the actions of their parents.

If you prefer to read, take a look at Květy Magazinewhere you can find a great conversation with Bara. Among other things, you will learn how she got to work at Charles University.

Last year, Bára also published In Her Place, a book about women who have succeeded in the world of men at first sight. The very first interview belongs to our founder, Gabriela Slováková. The book was published in Albatros Media and you can find it in every bookstore.

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Preparations for the 11th year are in full swing and we are curious to see how many of you will arrive this time and with whom we will be able to say hello. This year we focus on a topic that does not leave us calm: children and young people in conflict with the law. The proportion of juvenile offenders has been increasing for a long time. The Probation and Mediation Service alone handled over 2,000 cases of children and young people under 18 last year. We believe that punishment should not be the end point, but an opportunity for change. That's why in this year's Yellow Ribbon Run we are running for those who have their whole lives ahead of them and need support to be able to live it differently.

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The opening will take place on 25 March in Heřmanice Prison, the main event will be held on 11 June in Prague's Hvězda Obra. 30 out of 35 prisons in the Czech Republic are involved. We want to show that a second chance makes sense -- and that a company that can offer it is safer for everyone.

You can support us not only by having a personal presence, but also by changing your profile photo on your social networks. It's easy, we've got everything ready for you. Color yourself for the 11th grade and come show that you belong to our community.

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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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