CHILDHOOD and INCARCERATION SPECIAL REPORT LIVING CONDITIONS of CHILDREN and YOUTH with INCARCERATED PARENTS in ARGENTINA Originally Published As
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CHILDHOOD AND INCARCERATION SPECIAL REPORT LIVING CONDITIONS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS IN ARGENTINA Originally published as: Cadoni, L., Rival, J.M., y Tuñón, I. (2019). Infancias y encarcelamiento. Condiciones de vida de niñas, niños y adolescentes cuyos padres o familiares están privados de la libertad en la Argentina. Documento de trabajo. 1ª ed. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Educa, 2019. Edición para Fundación Universidad Católica Argentina - ISBN 978-987-620-381-4 “The authors of this publication cede their rights to the University, in a non-exclusive manner, to incorporate the digital version in the Institutional Repository of the Universidad Católica Argentina as well as other databases that it considers of academic relevance. Likewise, the Universidad Católica Argentina authorizes Church World Service (CWS-LAC) to disseminate them.” The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Universidad Católica Argentina or Church World Service. © 2019 Fundación Universidad Católica Argentina. All rights reserved. “Los autores de la presente publicación ceden sus derechos a la Universidad, en forma no exclusiva, para que incorpore la versión digital de los mismos al Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica Argentina como así también a otras bases de datos que considere de relevancia académica. Asimismo, la Universidad Católica Argentina autoriza a Church World Service (CWS-LAC) a la difusión de los mismos.” Lo publicado en esta obra es responsabilidad de los autores y no compromete la opinión de la Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina y Church World Service (CWS-LAC). © 2019 Derechos reservados por Fundación Universidad Católica Argentina. Graphic Design of the original version in Spanish María Nazarena Gómez Archeaga Photos Marisa Montes For this English version produced by CWS after the Spanish version was published: Design David Bianco | MoquoDesign.com Translation Mariana Morán Edition and Adaptation Aaron Tate INDEX // The incarceration of adults in a household 17 Access to health and inclusion PAGE constitutes an adverse childhood in social security 04 experience // Ianina Tuñón 19 Education 21 Child labor 22 Upbringing and socialization opportunities PAGE Making visible the impacts of prison on children’s 24 Vulnerability to negative upbringing styles lives, one more effort // Matín Coria 05 25 Socialization opportunities deficit PAGE PAGE 07 Introduction 26 Final thoughts Children with incarcerated family members: PAGE PAGE Subjects of law or innocent and invisible victims of 27 Methodological Annex 08 penal system? PAGE Annex II: Pairing or matching by closest PAGE How many children of incarcerated parents 29 neighbors 10 are in Argentina? PAGE The survey: Serie Bicentenario 2010-2016 PAGE 31 Fact sheet 11 Who are the CIP? PAGE PAGE How does family imprisonment affect 32 Bibliography 14 children and adolescents? PAGE 14 Poverty, unsatisfied basic needs and food security 34 Links of interest OBSERVATORIO DE LA DEUDA SOCIAL ARGENTINA (ARGENTINA SOCIAL DEBT CHURCH WORLD SERVICE (CWS-LAC) OBSERVATORY) Latin America and the Caribbean Office Research Director Regional Director Agustín Salvia J. Martín Coria Institutional Management Director Program Officer for the Protection of the Rights of Juan Cruz Hermida the Child Luciano Cadoni Study Coordinator Ianina Tuñón Consultant Juan Martín Rival Collaborators Sol Medina Fernández Natalia Ramil (Press) Authors: Luciano Cadoni, Juan Martin Rival, and Ianina Tuñón THE INCARCERATION OF ADULTS IN A HOUSEHOLD CONSTITUTES AN ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE Ianina Tuñón Coordinator of the Barómetro de la Deuda Social de la Infancia (ODSA-UCA). Each year, as part of the Observatorio de la be the result of living in environments with Deuda Social Argentina (ODSA, according to constant stress, low quality of attachment, and its Spanish initials), a new contribution is sought abusive, hostile or depressive parental figures. to help define the problem of child poverty In particular, the imprisonment of a parent puts from a human rights perspective. On this at risk the development of secure attachment occasion, together with Church World Service relationships, since the child’s main figure of in Latin America and the Caribbean (CWS- attachment is taken away from them; this is LAC), we present this report on the special especially true in cases where the mother, situation of children who have experienced the and primary caregiver, is incarcerated (Felitti incarceration of an adult household member. et al., 1998; Hillis et al., 2010; Causadias and Undoubtedly, the incarceration of an adult Coffino, 2014). Unfortunately, there is a lack of household member represents an adverse research on this topic, which limits our ability to childhood experience affecting the upbringing understand what aspects of child development and socialization of children. The literature on are impacted--and to what extent they are the issue identifies the imprisonment of a child’s impacted by the incarceration of a household parent as a specific “social disadvantage” that member. What would be the impacts of can increase social inequality. Some research the incarceration of parents on children’s shows the economic effects of incarceration development, access to opportunities, and on families, but there is much less evidence human and social resources? regarding the medium- and long-term The present study is exploratory and consequences on child development. Other descriptive but nevertheless profound in studies indicate that the incarceration of a terms of comparing a population of children parent causes dysfunctionality within the who have experienced the imprisonment of household that can negatively affect children. an adult household member compared to a Studies also warn about the appearance of population of peers who haven’t experienced antisocial behaviors in children, which may such a situation. 4 CHILDHOOD AND INCARCERATION MAKING VISIBLE THE IMPACTS OF PRISON ON CHILDREN’S LIVES, ONE MORE EFFORT Martín Coria Regional Coordinator for Church World Service in Latin American and the Caribbean Prepared with ODSA of the Universidad are women) experience both new and pre- Católica Argentina, this document on the existing vulnerabilities and increased risks living conditions of Argentine children with an in access to food, decent housing, quality incarcerated household member is a valuable, education, the right to play, and protection timely and necessary contribution to the against all forms of violence. efforts being carried out--both in Argentina This working document gives indications, and in other Latin American countries--in which should be deepened in future studies, defense of the rights of these children, who that living conditions of thousands of have thus far been virtually invisible both to Argentine children are worsened when they authorities and specialists. live in households where one of the household The “children of prisoners” (in this members is incarcerated. document called CIP – children (and youth) The first achievement to highlight from this with incarcerated parents) are innocent. They work is that it covers all the households with have not committed any crime, and they have children who experience the incarceration of the same rights to grow up and develop fully a household member (the majority of whom as any other boy or girl. However, from the are males, primarily fathers, brothers, uncles, moment that the penal system becomes a and grandfathers). So, in accordance with part of their lives, many of these children and the recommendations made by the United their caregivers (the great majority of whom Nations Committee on the Rights of the 5 CHILDHOOD AND INCARCERATION Child (CRC) in 2011, this document reinforces mothers and/or fathers, will impact children the idea that a child-centric look at the for the rest of their lives. Thus, we can speak growing phenomenon of incarceration (both of children impacted by the present and of fathers and mothers) is not only possible past imprisonment of a family member. We but also urgent. have learned this from the body of research A second achievement is that many of the but also from the hundreds of children with household living conditions that the study whom we have worked in these years, from examines are the same as those that children the members of the Relatives of Detainees themselves have indicated are important Civil Association (ACIFAD) and its president, to them during different regional, national Andrea Casamento, whom, by the way, we and local consultations carried out as part thank for her careful reading and accurate of the work of the Regional Platform for comments during the review of this document. the Defense of the Rights of Children with To conclude, we would like to emphasize Incarcerated Parents (NNAPES, according that this joint effort by academia and civil to its initials in Spanish). These factors are society to generate information and analysis poverty, food, education, mental health, and about the situation of Argentine children social participation, among others. living in households with an incarcerated Estimating the number of children who household member in no way replaces live in a household with one of its members the obligation of the national government incarcerated at the time of the Observatorio and the provinces to produce useful and de la Deuda Social Argentina (ODSA) is a necessary information on the subject and--in major contribution to raising awareness of the words of the Committee on the Rights of the issue in the country. As the authors and the Child--make this information available in the children themselves state, it is important an appropriate format so that it can provide to keep in mind that the consequences of the necessary support for these children. incarceration of a family member, especially 6 CHILDHOOD AND INCARCERATION INTRODUCTION When you see it all happening, you feel a lot of anxiety, and it’s a mess, and you don’t know what’s going on, and you don’t know why your dad is there, and you’re so small, and you have to try to understand it all so quickly.