13,000 children in prison...
right now in Mexico - with devastating effects on their lives. Kids who spend time in prison are twice as likely to drop out of school, use drugs and commit suicide compared to kids in alternative programs. In Mexico, three quarters of the children in prison are abused or beaten by officials, held in solitary confinement and shackled for days at a time. Many centers lack medical services, education, and even basic sanitation.
Children who have been imprisoned are the most likely to become criminals as adults. Many are recruited into gangs while in prison, increasing crime and exacerbating social insecurity—something countries like Mexico can ill-afford. Excessive juvenile detention doesn't make us safer.
Each Child Has A Story...
20 Hours
Oscar's Story
Poor and in Prison
Father and Son
The Family
An Unlikely Happy Ending
The Genesis of “Every Child Has a Story” Photography Documentary Part 3
Part 3: Normalizing the Trauma and Dehumanizing Kids Our Family Reunification Project and the “Every Child Has a Story” documentary heads out this weekend to Chihuahua state. The goal is to help families who cannot afford to visit their children in prison get transportation to the facilities. We are documenting…
The Genesis of “Every Child Has a Story” Photography Documentary Part 2
Part 2: Olivia calls the family (Read Part 1) Last week, Olivia, our project coordinator, received the list of teenagers in the detention centers in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua who do not receive visitors because their families are too poor. Sixteen children’s names, some with home addresses, some with phone…
The Genesis of “Every Child Has a Story” Photography Documentary Part 1
Part 1: Leaps of Faith Two years ago this month we completed our “Dia de Visita” photography documentary project. My wife Amanda took the photographs and I interviewed children and their families on visiting day at the detention center. It was quite a challenge to get permission and finally complete…
In September her baby boy turns one…
Alejandra smiled when I sat down at her table to talk with her. I met her for the first time two months ago. Today she was reading in the common area of the girl‘s cell block. It was a book of poems. Alejandra likes poetry and sometimes writes her own…