Rethinking prison visitation for children with incarcerated parents: Lessons from the Australian Capital Territory

Abstract

Children of incarcerated parents experience a range of vulnerabilities which have led to them being dubbed the ‘invisible victims’ of the criminal justice system. This article discusses the needs of children with incarcerated parents using recent literature describing children’s experiences during prison visitation suspensions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We then critically examine the human rights-based communications framework, as well as the challenges faced by children of incarcerated parents, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). We recommend corrective services around Australia retain alternative contact methods and consider introducing in-cell communication technology.