Prisoners and their families in Argentina: navigating COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Argentina, the primary modes of contact between parents in prison and their children are contact visits and telephone calls. Prior to the pandemic, access to mobile telephones was limited and there were established barriers to contact visits, including distance and cost. Maintaining contact during the pandemic via either of these modes was made even more difficult. However, advocacy and multi-agency collaboration facilitated greater access to telephones and the development of support resources for parents in prison and their families in the community. This contemporary comment first provides context about imprisonment in Argentina, then highlights what is known about parents in prison in Argentina, subsequently focusing in on how family contact was negatively impacted by COVID-19. Next, the strategies deployed to reconnect families separated by imprisonment via regular contact are described. The remaining knowledge and evidence gaps, role of multi-agency collaborations and community advocacy are highlighted throughout the commentary.