The invisible children living in the Women’s Social Rehabilitation Center of Santa Marta Acatitla are not considered taken into consideration by the authorities nor are their needs included in the budget.
There are 98 girls and boys living with their mothers in prison, 79 of them are cared for in the “Amalia Solórzano de Cárdenas” Centro de Desarrollo Infantil (CENDI) operating with the help of five foundations that support their development.
During a tour CAPITAL MEDIA made of the women’s prison of Santa Martha, director of the CENDI Jessica Salazar explained that since last January they already have official recognition from the Public Education Secretariat to implement study programs and care for minors from 45 days old to five years, 11 months old, while it is still being discussed at the international level if it is adequate or if it should be more or less.
Although prison budgetary resources do not include children, who would it only provides food, but it does not provide diapers, wipes or milk formulas, let alone tend to their their school needs.
These children, says Deputy Rebeca Peralta Leon, president of the Special Commission of Prisons of the Legislative Assembly, receive support from foundations and legislators and therefore have quality education and technology to face the outside world when they leave from either achieving the age limit or because their mothers leave the prison.
In the Santa Martha Women’s Detention Center there are 98 children living with their mothers, 79 of them are are benefited by CENDI and 19 are not, but all inmates are entitled to send them to the center, but they must do it willingly. In the detention center are 95 mothers of 45 girls and 53 boys, although there are also 3 charged by the Family Develoment Agency and 30 private foundations, and there are 12 pregnant women, of which there are 4 confirmed.
