A shared sentence: children of imprisoned parents in Uganda

It is estimated that 200,000 children in Uganda have a parent in prison at any one time. Children of prisoners in Uganda and across Africa face many violations of their rights when their parents or primary caregivers are arrested and detained. They are confronted with the trauma of separation but also have to contend with subtle and not so subtle stigma and discrimination because of their parent’s involvement with the criminal justice system. Children living in prison with their mothers often live in intolerable conditions with inadequate access to nutrition, play and education.

In 2013, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child adopted its first ever General Comment on the rights of children when their parents or primary caregivers are in conflict with the law. This research conducted jointly by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative and PRI assesses to what extent the guidance contained in the General Comment has been implemented in Uganda, highlighting some of the gaps that need to be filled.

We hope that other organisations may conduct similar research on the implementation of General Comment No. 1 in other countries in Africa. PRI would welcome collaboration and our research methodology is available to other organisations and institutions who would like to embark on similar projects. Please contact info@penalreform.org for more information.

The full report is available in English, and an Executive Summary in English and French.