It Takes a Village: Centering Children and Families in Conversations on Incarceration and Well-Being

ICPA 2025 Presentation by Annelyn Smit and Oliver Drews (PID094)

Authors

Annelyn Smit

Founder, Let's get loud!, Founder, Not My Crime NL, Netherlands

Annelyn Smit had a father in prison and knows firsthand how incarceration affects far more than just the person behind bars. She works as a keynote speaker and trainer in prison systems, focusing on fatherhood and family relations. Her talks are known for their authenticity, emotional depth, and power.

She creates bridges between lived experience and professional reality, speaking straight to the heart while gently shifting perspectives. Through story, reflection, and a deep sense of humanity, she doesn’t just inform; she connects, uplifts, and transforms - all guided by one core belief: if justice is to work, we must include the people it affects the most.

Oliver Drews

Founder, Connecting Hearts, CEO, Telio Group, Germany

Oliver Drews is the Founder of the Connecting Hearts Foundation and CEO of Telio Group. With a diploma in economics from the University of Hamburg and a background in banking, Oliver’s journey took a deeply human turn over two decades ago when he chose to dedicate his life to the prison system - not just as a professional challenge, but as a mission to restore hope and dignity.

Oliver believes that prisons should be places of second chances. His efforts focus on innovative technologies that support reintegration and foster meaningful human connections, especially between incarcerated parents and their children.

His commitment to systemic change extends beyond business. Oliver has served on numerous voluntary committees, including as Head of the Startup Committee at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Vice-President of Germany’s largest young entrepreneurs’ association, and long-time board member of Die Familienunternehmer, Germany’s foremost entrepreneur network. Since 2024, he has also been a board member of the ICPA European Chapter, championing collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve prison conditions.

In 2022, Oliver founded the Connecting Hearts Foundation to support children of inmates - those most vulnerable to the emotional toll of incarceration.

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