Protecting the Rights of Children in the War on Drugs in Latin America and the Caribbean

The “war on drugs” and regressive drug policies that rely on law enforcement have led to growing incarceration rates worldwide. The impact of this level of incarceration cannot be fully understood or addressed without considering its less visible victims: the families and, in particular, the children of men and women in prison.

A new report—Childhood that Matters or Niñez que Cuenta—by Church World Service sits at this rarely-examined crossroad between incarceration, drug policy, and children’s rights. Published in advance of the 30th anniversary of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, this regional report analyses the impact of parental incarceration on children, and examines exposure to violence, feelings of loss, stigma, increasing poverty levels, and the difficulty of maintaining a relationship with an incarcerated parent. The report presents a series of recommendations based on interviews with children who have relatives in prison for nonviolent drug offenses in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. 

This event features a presentation and panel discussion with experts from Latin America and the Caribbean who were all an integral part of the report.