“I’m always waiting for him at home.”
We met Iris at a youth detention center in Honduras, where her son is being held. We spoke with her to understand what it’s like for families to stay connected while a child is in detention.
Iris spoke with pride about raising her three children and shared the message she wants her son to hear while they’re apart. As the conversation ended, she asked Laura, our Honduras coordinator, for a hug.
Honduras | Three families saw their sons for the first time since detention began
One family finally reached El Carmen youth detention center after two transportation strikes disrupted earlier attempts. At Nuevo Jalteva youth detention center, two more families saw their sons for the first time since they entered detention. Until then, they hadn’t been able to afford the trip.
At Sagrado Corazón de María youth detention center, a mother saw her daughter one month to the day after she entered detention. On a second visit day at El Carmen, mothers saw their sons after a month or more apart.
In October, our Mobilize and Empower team coordinated four visit days across three youth detention centers. Restore the Circle sponsors make these trips possible by covering travel costs. What families share also informs our work with the institutions that run these centers. When we assess a center, their experiences can guide questions such as how soon families can visit after a young person arrives and whether they can reschedule if transportation falls through.
Puerto Rico | Involving families in the return home
How can families take part in planning for a young person’s return home from the day they enter a youth detention center? We brought that question to an October 19 working meeting in New York with representatives from Sociedad para Asistencia Legal Puerto Rico, Alianza For Opportunity, Justice for Families, Catalyze Justice, and a pro bono group at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law.
We drew on what families in Honduras and Costa Rica have shared through Restore the Circle. We also discussed a possible November visit to Puerto Rico that could include a Know Your Rights workshop and conversations with families about what makes it difficult to stay in touch. What we hear would guide which barriers to address first with local partners.
Restore the Circle | Keep families connected
When you sponsor through Restore the Circle, you make it possible for families to see their children and share what they want youth justice institutions to change. Thank you for making those visits possible and for keeping families’ experiences part of the conversation about reform.
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