Resources for:

Women in Prison

March 2013

Oral Statement on Mental Health of Children of Prisoners

This submission highlights the effects of imprisonment of a parent on mental health of children. It was submitted jointly by Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers) and the International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE) to the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council.

Related Files

March 2013

Geneva Reporter

Geneva's newsletter from January to March 2013. Featured stories:​

  • QUNO engagement with climate talks
  • Natural resources, conflict and cooperation
  • Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
  • Highlights from QUNO New York

Related Files

September 2012

Oral Statement: Children of Parents Executed or Sentenced to Death

This submission welcomes the UN Secretary General’s report on the death penalty, in which the children of sentenced persons are recognized. It updates states about recent QUNO efforts to highlight the effects of parental execution or sentencing on children.

See also:

Related Files

March 2012

Collateral Convicts: Recommendations and Good Practice from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Day of General Discussion 2011

The first time a UN body considered the question children with parents in prison was in September 2011, in a Committee on the Rights of the Child day of general discussion on the topic. This paper details the issues, good practice and recommendations relating to children of prisoners that emerged from that day of general discussion.

See also the related Briefing Paper and Exhibition.

Author: 

Languages: 

Related Files

February 2012

Written statement: Children of incarcerated parents (2012)

In this submission to 19th session of the Human Rights Council, QUNO highlights the risks to physical and mental well-being faced by children of incarcerated parents. It recalls general principles to be kept in mind when considering and/or interacting with these children. Finally, it highlights potential examples of good practice.

See also the written statement on the same subject issued the previous year (2011).

Related Files

February 2011

Written statement: Children of incarcerated parents (2011)

In this statement to the 16th session of the Human Rights Council, Quakers welcome the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Bangkok Rules, calling on States to ensure they are appropriately disseminated. The statement also welcomes the Committee on the Rights of the Child having decided to dedicate the 2011 Day of General Discussion to the theme of “children of incarcerated parents.”

See also the written statement on the same subject issued a year later.

Related Files

February 2011

Briefing on the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules)

The Bangkok Rules supplement a set of international standards on the treatment of prisoners – The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (‘Tokyo Rules’). The Bangkok Rules address the needs and characteristics of women in the criminal justice system. QUNO and Penal Reform International participated in the development of the Bangkok Rules, and issued this Briefing to encourage their dissemination and implementation.

 

Languages: 

Related Files

January 2011

Geneva Reporter

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for November 2010 to January 2011. Featured stories:

  • About the year-in-review issue
  • From Policy-makers to Practitioners: Disarmament and Peace 2010
  • From Seeds to Sustainability: Global Economic Issues 2010
  • From Prisons to Protection :Human Rights and Refugees 2010
  • Update from QUNO New York
  • QUNO Summer School 2011
  • Staff Update

Related Files

September 2010

Proposal to the Committee on the Rights of the Child for a Day of General Discussion on children of prisoners

Several international and national NGOs, together with experts, requested that the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) consider dedicating its 2011 Day of General Discussion to the issue of Children of Imprisoned Parents. This document is the actual text of their proposal to the CRC. It includes a statement of the problem of children of imprisoned parents, and suggestions on what the content of the Day of General Discussion could include.

Related Files

June 2010

10 Wishes

This resource comprises of a presentation given at a side-event of the 14th Session of the Human Rights Council in June 2010.

“In early 2010, Riksbryggan, a Swedish organization working with children of imprisoned parents, asked a group of children what would need to change to make it easier for them to have a parent in prison. [This presentation is made up of] the children’s wishes and drawings.”

Related Files

June 2010

Oral Statement: Human Rights of Women Prisoners and Children of Prisoners

In this oral statement delivered at the 14th session of the Human Rights Council, Quakers welcome the progress made in developing new draft UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders, noting that they did addressed only a limited aspect of the problem. The submission highlights QUNO’s draft Framework for Decision-Making in Relation to Children of Offenders, requesting comments. It also welcomes proposed EU research on the issue of children in prison, to fill critical gaps in knowledge.

See also: Children of (Alleged) Offenders: Revised Draft Framework for Decision-Making.

Related Files

May 2010

Written Statement: Children of Prisoners (2010)

In this submission to the 14th session of the Human Rights Council, Quakers highlight the problem of children of incarcerated parents, and some of the progress made on the issue in the international arena. It also highlights QUNO’s range of research, studies and publications on the issue. The submission includes specific recommendations for the UN Human Rights Council in moving the issue forward.

Related Files

January 2010

Geneva Reporter

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for November to January 2010. Featured stories:

  • Conscientious Objection to Military Service
  • Securing the Millennium Development Goals
  • A Letter from QUNO New York
  • Reasons to be Hopeful? Prospects for the Disarmament Agenda 2010
  • Women in Prison
  • QUNO Seeks New Programme Assistants
  • From Trade Justice to Climate Justice? Reflections Around the WTO’s 2009 Ministerial Conference
  • Quaker United Nations Summer School
  • Quakers at the Copenhagen Climate Conference
  • Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property and Food

Related Files

April 2009

Geneva Reporter

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for February to April 2009. Featured stories:

  • Women in Prison: New Steps and Resolutions
  • Making a Difference on Global Economic Issues
  • Conscientious Objection at the Human Rights Council
  • New Momentum in Nuclear Disarmament

Related Files

February 2007

Pre-trial Detention of Women and its Impact on Their Children

“Drawing together findings from academics, professionals and the United Nations, this paper examines the ways in which women are disproportionately affected by pre- trial detention and how this impacts on their children. It considers the reasons for the over-use of pre-trial detention, issues around over-long periods of detention and the problems of inappropriate conditions of detention for pre-trial detainees. It also provides practical suggestions for improvements as well as a range of alternatives to pre-trial detention.”

Author: 

Languages: 

Related Files

March 2005

Babies and Small Children Residing in Prisons

In the course of QUNOs work on the situation of women in prison, it became clear that imprisonment of women had an enormous impact upon children. This publication concerns babies and young children who stay in prison with their mothers. There are no obvious right or wrong answers to several of the dilemmas raised: neither separating babies and young children from their mother nor imprisoning them with their mother is desirable. This research tries to outline what the rights of the child in such a situation are, and how they can best be protected.  Some examples of strategies and good practices have been included. Also included are guidelines and suggestions for drafting legislation, regulations, policies and programmes regarding babies and small children residing in prisons.

Author: 

Related Files

June 2004

Women in Prison and Children of Imprisoned Mothers: Preliminary Research Paper

This is QUNO's initial publication on the question of women in prison, and their children. It is detailed, and as a preliminary research paper, it deals with a wide range of issues. It first provides an overview of and statistics concerning women in prison as a whole. It then looks at different groups of women – indigenous women, foreign nationals, transgender prisoners - and how they are affected by imprisonment. The paper then looks at mothers in prison and their children – whether imprisoned with or separated from their mothers. Perspectives on  healthcare for women in prison are offered. Finally, there is a section on abuse, inappropriate procedures and torture that women in prison may face.

Author: 

Related Files