
I am Hamed Farmand, the founder and President of Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI). I have been leading COIPI since its founding in August of 2014.
Our mission is to:
- Address the psychosocial, economic, and behavioral challenges commonly faced by children with incarcerated parents and their families.
- Advocate for the rights and well-being of children with incarcerated parents, their families, and the broader societal issues linked to this circumstance.
- Provide education and training for families, professionals, and the public to support children with incarcerated parents and their families.
- Design and implement targeted initiatives and tailored interventions to enhance the overall well-being of children with incarcerated parents and their families.
- Foster positive environments where children with incarcerated parents and their families can thrive without encountering any form of violence.
This is our Winter 2025 Newsletter, which will cover the following:
- Professional Development & Education
- Research & Knowledge Sharing
- Community Engagement & Advocacy
- Support & Fundraising
Thank you for your interest.
Hamed Farmand
Empowering Professionals – Strengthening Families
160 Training materials published on our websites and social media platforms, with most of these resources available in Farsi. We plan to translate and adapt these materials for publication in English to reach a broader audience.
10 Individuals trained in understanding the effect of parental incarceration and developing effective communication skills.
7 Individuals mentored to support families with incarcerated parents.
13 Families supported to help develop their children’s resiliency.
PLAN to design and launch self-paced training materials and mentorship programs for our international partners.

From left to right: Gretta Goodwin, Hamed Farmand, and Martha Paynter at Columbia Law School, NY; November 2024
Research, Publications, and Presentations
7 Investigative reports on children and incarcerated mothers in Iranian prisons were published in Farsi in 2024. 10 research studies on individual prisons have been conducted and published since 2023. You can read them here: https://coipi-fa.org/child-mother-in-prison
7 Reports were translated and published in English. To read them, click here.
2 Research projects on children and mothers in Iranian prisons in progress.
1 Presentation delivered at Colombia University, School of Law, during the Global Prison Nursery Network second symposium.
The symposium, in addition to keynote speakers, featured four panel discussions:
- The Due Process Void: Centering the Rights of Children and Mothers
- Missing Metrics: Challenges and Strategies for Data Collection on Caregivers and Children
- Parenting in Prison: A Conversation with Impacted Mothers
- Redefining Custody: Models for Mitigating Harm
Read more or watch the video here.

Hamed Farmand facilitating a webinar hosted by the International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents; December 2014
Educational Webinars
Past Event: On December 10, 2024, Hamed Farmand, COIPI’s president, organized and facilitated a panel discussion on behalf of International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP). The discussion, “The Impact on Children of a Relative’s Death Sentence or Execution,” featured speakersSusannah Sheffer, clinical mental health counselor, Francis Ssuubi, founder of Wells of Hope, and Rose, youth leader of Children Against Death Penalty Club at Wells of Hope. They shared their experiences and insights on this critical issue. Watch the discussion here.
Upcoming Event: Save the date: March 17, 2025.
Hamed Farmand will join Bianca Abeygoonawardane, expert in child development, women’s empowerment, and community development, Venessa Bey, social worker and advocate for women dealing with parental incarceration, and LaDàna Young (née Drigo), founder and executive director of My Fairy God Parents. They will participate in a round table discussion at the NGO-CSW Parallel Events.
The event, titled “Intersection of Gender, Socioeconomic Class, and Race/Ethnicity: Mothers Behind Bars or Caring for Their Children While Partners are in Prison,” will be part of International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP)’s presentation.

Hamed Farmand and Foojan Zeine, at Inner Voice: A Heartfelt Chat with Dr. Foojan Zeine; November 2024.
Outreach
Radio Interview – Hamed Farmand participated in Trent Radio’s “Activists in Exile” series on TODAY’S EMISSION, hosted by James Cullingham. He discussed the challenges faced by children with incarcerated parents and their connection to broader children’s rights issues.
Video Podcast – Hamed appeared on “Inner Voice: A Heartfelt Chat with Dr. Foojan Zeine,” to explore the profound impact of parental incarceration on children.

Scholarship Spotlight
Nafiseh Mousavi, a Senior Lecturer in Intermedial Studies at the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University, Sweden, has contributed a chapter to the book Remembering Contentious Lives.
In her chapter, she analyzes Hamed’s blog posts, Prisoner Number Zero, and his Farsi-language memoir, Missing Mum, examining them through the lens of autobiography and activism for children with incarcerated parents.
Read the chapter here.

New on Our Shelf: A Gift from the Publisher
We are honored to have been selected by the publisher of In Our Heart to receive two copies of the book, along with a few other organizations. Locked-N, the publisher, generously provided these copies of In Our Heart by iZice.
This powerful book shares “the stories of kids from different backgrounds, united by one shared reality: their parents are incarcerated.”
Support Our Mission: Make a Difference
Help us sustain our work, research, global contribution, training, and support for families impacted by parental incarceration and the tragedy of execution by:
- Donating Monthly or One Time: click here to donate.
- Spread Awareness: Share our publications, talk about our work, and amplify the voices of children of incarcerated parents.
- Contributing Your Talent: Support us with your skills in graphic design, video production, writing, psychologicall support for families, or Grant Seeking and Writing. You can send us your brief bio and your area of interest to farmand@coipi.org.