WUNRN
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Mr.
Vernor Munoz,will dedicate his 2009 Report for the UN Human Rights
Council, to: EDUCATION OF PEOPLE IN PRISONS
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The number of children staying with their mothers in
Afghan prisons is extremely high, almost equal to the number of their
mothers, according to UNODC |
KABUL, 26 September 2007
(IRIN) - Fatima (not her real name) lives with her mother and a younger brother
in Pul-e Charkhi prison, in the eastern outskirts of Kabul.
The 12-year-old was first brought to the prison four
years ago, after a court sentenced her mother to 11 years for murdering her
husband.
"There are six women and seven children living with
us in a single cell," complained Fatima, who added that she finds it
annoying living with “those naughty kids”.
Unlike other children in Kabul, both Fatima and her
brother are deprived of an education, because there is no school in Pul-e
Charkhi prison, Afghanistan's biggest jail.
"I dream of being able to go to school just like
other girls," she said.
Fatima's education prospects are grim. In the absence of
a male guardian outside the prison, both children are likely to stay with their
mother until she is released in 2014. It is unusual for a young woman to live
alone in traditional Afghani society.
According to Afghanistan's criminal code, children who
stay with an imprisoned guardian must have access to education.
There are six women
and seven children living with us in a single cell.
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In practice, however,
the country cannot implement this legal provision due to the shortage of
resources, officials acknowledge.
Over 60 children are currently living with female
prisoners in Pul-e Charkhi prison, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which runs
prisons in the country, told IRIN.
Health, nutrition, education
Children who live with their parents in prisons are
currently entitled to a single food regime available for all prisoners. MoJ officials
say a three-meals-a-day routine is in place in Pul-e Charkhi jail which
provides sufficient nutrition for an adult.
However, according to a report published in August by
the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the prison food regime does not meet
the nutritional requirements for children's physical and mental growth.
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Children are deprived of education and other facilities in
Pul-e Charkhi Prison |
The report entitled
Afghanistan: Female Prisoners and Their Social Integration highlighted problems
of pregnant women who, in addition to nutritional deficiencies, also suffered
from lack of health care.
"They [imprisoned women and their children] can
receive no specialist health care or education, due to acute resource
problems," said the report.
To mitigate the hardship for the incarcerated children a
local non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Afghan Women’s Education Centre
(AWEC), has set up a kindergarten in Pul-e Charkhi prison where children
receive preschool training to build their cognitive skills.
AWEC also provides basic health services for pregnant
women and children suffering minor illnesses.
The NGO’s services could not be relied upon indefinitely
as it was dependent on donor funds, observers said.
Research has also
indicated that the children of imprisoned mothers may be at greater risk of
future incarceration themselves.
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Psychological impact
NGOs working in Pul-e Charkhi prison who prefer
anonymity due to the sensitivity of their work, say almost all children have
been affected psychologically by the prison environment.
"They [children] do not concentrate in the
kindergarten and show clear signs of obsession," said one aid worker who
works with prison children.
The UNODC findings confirm the existence of a number of
issues stemming from the prison’s environment which are considered unsuitable
for the upbringing of children, particularly their health, social, educational
and emotional development.
"Research has also indicated that the children of
imprisoned mothers may be at greater risk of future incarceration
themselves," the report said.
More resources needed
Afghanistan requires ample resources, institutional and
legal reforms and generous international assistance to end the deprivation and
suffering of children in prisons.
NGOs such as AWEC are advocating that legal measures be
adopted which ban the imprisonment of pregnant women until at least six months
after delivery, unless an extremely serious crime has been committed.
Others call on the international donor community to help
the Afghan authorities construct schools, nurseries and other facilities adjacent
to Pul-e Charkhi and other big prisons around the country.
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