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September 11, 2016  |  By Douglas Keillor In News

The Genesis of “Every Child Has a Story” Photography Documentary Part 2

Part 2: Olivia calls the family (Read Part 1)

Olivia Meneses Project Coordinator
Olivia Meneses Project Coordinator

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 numbers for their parents, some with neither. Olivia started the next phase of our Family Reunification project – to help parents who cannot afford it, travel to the detention center and visit their children on visiting day.

Armed with our new list of 16 teenagers, we started to layout a route for us and our partners in Chihuahua state to reach as many families as possible in the various cities and towns represented. Chihuahua is the largest state by area in Mexico, about the size of Colorado.  With just two detention centers in the largest cities, there are a large number of families that live anywhere from two to nine hours away from where their children are imprisoned.  As Olivia coordinated transportation, one family on the list stood out. A phone number was listed but not an address.

Before Olivia called this family, we agreed that we would do whatever we could to make sure we could get them transportation so as not to give them the expectation of seeing their son, then only to tell them we could not. So Olivia dialed her cell phone.

“To make contact with the first Family was such an emotional and moving moment.” Olivia said. She called and a woman answered. At first Olivia thought she was the mother. She listened with great attention to Olivia’s description of our project. “Ok,” she responded, “I’m his sister, but my mother will be the one to go.” Olivia told her that both her and her mother could come, up to three visitors are allowed. “Seriously? We can both go? You are going to come and take us and then bring us back to our home three hours away?” “Yes,” Olivia assured her. She could not believe it. Olivia continued to explain the rules for visits to detention and the logistics. “But seriously,” the sister asked again “we can both go?” “Yes,” Olivia told her again.

“I could perceive great joy and excitement… just to consider the possibility to see her brother,” Olivia said. “I didn’t realize how important this really is.”

The sister was so grateful, so excited, her voice was breaking. Until that moment her family has just been a name on a list of 16. We’ve never met her or her brother. We don’t know their history. We just know her voice. Her love for her brother. And it motivates us to make this project a reality.

Before Olivia hung up, the sister thanked Olivia repeatedly. The she asked, “how often will you be able to help us see our brother?” Olivia had to tell her the truth “we don’t know, for now it is just this one time.”

Documenting Family Reunification will allow us to promote the idea of providing transportation for poor families to visit their teens in prison in Chihuahua state and across Mexico. With enough support from local organizations, governments and you, these families can continue to visit their children in prison.

 

Care Packages Chihuahua Dia de Visita Family Reunification Photography Poverty
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Guerrero

Los adolescentes en el sistema de justicia en Guerrero requieren de gran apoyo, servicios y protección del crimen organizado, por lo que nuestro trabajo se realiza bajo un nivel considerable de inseguridad pública. Somos la única A.C. trabajando para ayudar al gobierno para que los adolescentes tengan una verdadera segunda oportunidad.

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CDMX

Vista como líder nacional en las prácticas del sistema de justicia, la Ciudad de México tiene más adolescentes en detención que cualquier otra jurisdicción. Sin embargo, también ha desarrollado una unidad de seguimiento en libertad con numerosas alianzas con organizaciones. Nuestros proyectos fortalecerán esta área crítica.

JJI está trabajando en la Ciudad de México desde dos vertientes. En Alternativas a la Detención con un monitoreo que comenzó en 2019, pero por causas sanitarias y la pandemia por COVID, se retomó dos años después con un equipo de especialistas el cual ya está preparándose para continuar la actividad. En Movilizando voluntarios, se continúa con los esfuerzos para reunir a más adolescentes con sus familias, gracias al apoyo: “Reunificación familiar”. Así como también se han realizado entrega de enseres en los 6 centros.

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Durango

A pesar de tener un número menor de adolescentes en el sistema de justicia, Durango es una jurisdicción que busca la mejora continua. Durango es el primer estado donde tanto el poder judicial como el ejecutivo han firmado convenios de colaboración para la implementación de nuestros proyectos de Alternativas a la Detención.

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Chihuahua

Chihuahua es nuestro sitio piloto y un estado considerado líder en la reforma penal en México. Nuestros proyectos comenzaron en el 2016. Desde entonces, los tiempos en detención preventiva han disminuido, los adolescentes son supervisados con mayor eficiencia en sus comunidades y se ha mejorado la calidad de vida de aquellos adolescentes que siguen privados de su libertad.

En Chihuahua trabajamos con varios proyectos, como son el monitoreo que se trabaja en conjunto con la autoridad, y con los adolescentes y sus familias trabajamos en talleres, mesas de trabajo, eventos lúdicos, acompañamiento post penal, reubicaciones y traslados de familiares para audiencias y visitas, así como donaciones de enseres, ropa y material deportivo.

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Chiapas

Ante la apertura de los operadores del sistema de justicia para adolescentes del estado de Chiapas, a partir del mes de diciembre del año 2020 se tuvo acercamiento con los operadores que encabezan el Sistema de Justicia Penal para Adolescentes en el Estado de Chiapas, con el fin de coadyuvar en dicho sistema y en pro de todas las personas adolescentes Chiapanecos en conflicto con la ley. Tanto que el día 26 de abril del 2021, JJI realizó la presentación de proyectos ante los operadores del sistema penal para adolescentes en la Sala de Presidentes del Poder Judicial del Estado de Chiapas teniendo una respuesta de interés de los presentes.


En el tenor del desarrollo de la relación institucional JJI continuó aportando varias donaciones a los Centros de Internamiento Especializados para Adolescentes ubicados en los Municipios de Berriozábal ”Villa Crisol” y Mazatán “Zona Costa” del Estado de Chiapas, ha entregado Kit de enseres, insumos para la prevención del Virus SARS-CoV-2, canastas básicas conformados por alimentos y artículos de limpieza e higiene personal.

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Chihuahua

A national leader in criminal procedural reforms, our pilot project in Chihuahua started in 2016. Since that time the rates and duration of pretrial detention have declined, youth are being successfully supervised in their communities and new programs in the detention center have improved daily life for those children still deprived of liberty.

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Guerrero

Working under the shadow of significant public insecurity, the youth in Guerrero’s justice system are in dire need of support, services and protection from organized crime. We are one of the only nonprofits working to help the government and youth in detention get a second chance.

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CDMX

Looked to as the national leader in youth justice practices, Mexico City has more youth in detention than any other jurisdiction but has also developed a robust probation office and numerous alliances with nonprofits. Our projects will further fortify this critical work.

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Durango

Despite being a smaller jurisdiction, Durango is constantly looking to improve. Durango is the first state where both the Executive Branch and Judicial Branch have signed Memorandum of Understanding to launch the Alternatives to Detention initiatives.

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Chiapas

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