The voices of children who have a mother, father or guardian deprived of liberty

In 2014, the General called for a Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, highlighting that it should be developed with children’s views in mind. To advance work in this area and capture children’s voices and experiences, and to address the safeguarding of the rights of children of incarcerated parents, from 2017 to 2019, the Special Representative collaborated with the Uruguayan NGO Gurises Unidos and the Regional Platform for children with an adult deprived of liberty (NAPPES Platform). More than 200 children aged 6 to 17 years whose parent or guardian is deprived of liberty participated in local focal groups held in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, and in a regional consultation held in the Dominican Republic. The views of children informed the development of the Special Representative’s Report. Children speak about the impact of deprivation of liberty: the case of Latin America and a set of advocacy materials to influence concrete actions to guarantee children’s rights in the penitentiary system.