SWALLOW: Healing the Wings

Our initiative created a network among civilians, former and current detainees and their family members, experts, who have been working in the Hungarian penitentiary system and the HHC in order to advocate for the rights and equal access to justice for detainees. The overall aim is to provide the necessary tools to former and current detainees, their families, and their advocates to stand up against ill-treatment through various means. We are working towards laying the ground for a self-organising movement and to create new avenues in advocacy for detainees.

In Hungary, prisons have become more restrictive and less transparent. 17,000 inmates and their families have restricted contact; they face grave challenges obtaining legal aid and assistance. NGOs have no access to prisons to monitor detention conditions, insufficient healthcare, and prevent ill-treatment and torture. 

We aim to assess the most pressing problems faced by detainees and their families. Our programmes provide aid through sharing information, legal assistance, and advocacy. We also established a platform where family members, released detainees, and professionals can connect and support detainees to stand up for their rights. 

The programme’s network has currently has more than 30 members, including former and current detainees, their family members, experts, and the public. We have also reached 1,600 affected community members online. We conduct research on violations in prisons, provide legal support and advocacy, and organise conferences in dialogue with former detainees and their families.

We are working toward laying the ground for a self-organising movement and creating new avenues in advocacy for detainees. Our approach demonstrates the importance of ensuring the human rights of detainees; the majority will eventually re-enter society and can help amend the public perception of the world of prison. 

Our project demonstrates a model for multidisciplinary cooperation that serves as an example for other countries to represent vulnerable communities. Working with the stories of detainees and representing them with dignity has great potential to transform the public representation of prisons and detainees in any cultural or geographical context.