Together for a Fresh Start – A Supportive Community in Józsefváros (2025-2027)

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, in partnership with the Hazavárunk Foundation and the FECSKE Support Network for Detainees and their Families created a civil society consortium, in cooperation with the Budapest District VIII (Józsefváros) Local Government to launch a new project that supports and empowers the family members of prisoners. The program, titled “Together for a Fresh Start – A Supportive Community in Józsefváros” and implemented with the support of the Budapest Municipality Social Public Foundation’ Social Solidarity Fund, aims to provide assistance and a sense of community to those whose lives have been radically altered by the incarceration of a loved one.

In Hungary, nearly 40,000 people pass through prisons each year, affecting more than 100,000 family members—including mostly women and children. They often face financial difficulties, emotional burdens, and the weight of social stigma. The project aims to alleviate the isolation of those affected, reduce stigmatisation, and contribute to the development and strengthening of a community support network in Józsefváros.

The project runs from September 2025 to May 2027 and, by strengthening local communities and supporting women and children, contributes to the long-term development of community services and the enhancement of social security through:

• Monthly psychoeducational, practical, and legal-information support groups for affected family members,
• Organising professional forums and provide resources for professionals working with families and children in Józsefváros,
• and organising innovative community events, including the Prison Cafés, which help break down prejudices and foster dialogue on the impact incarceration has on families within the local community.

The program is implemented in a cooperation between the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (coordinator) and its partners, the Hazavárunk Foundation, FECSKE amd the Józsefváros Local Government.

📅 Project period: September 1, 2025 – May 31, 2027

💬 Funder: Budapest Social Public Foundation – Budapest Solidarity Fund 2025

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