The “Invisible Children” of Mexico

As of 2015, there have been a reported number of over 350 children, under the age of six, who were born in prisons across Mexico. The children born in Mexico’ s Reclusorio Femenil Santa Martha Acatitla are allowed to stay with their parents up until the age of six years old. The kids are called “invisible children” because there is no law within the penitentiary system that recognizes them, and no budget assigned to take care of them. On Wednesday November 5th, a group of mothers got together with Reinserta un Mexicano, a Mexican NGO, to release a year book, showcasing the “Invisible Children”.  The following photos were taken at Reclusorio Femenil Santa Martha Acatitla, a women’s prison located in Mexico City, which is the largest women’s prison in Latin America. This prison is the only one located in Mexico City where women are allowed to keep their babies after they are born. 5.07% of the Mexican prison’s 248,487 are women. Many of the Women who are in the prison were arrested for drugs and theft. If the women give birth while imprisoned, they are allowed to keep their child with them for six years, but after their time has expired, the children are taken to privately owned shelter homes where they are raised until their mothers are out of jail. The photos were taken at Reclusorio Femenil Santa Martha Acatitla, a women's prison in Mexico City.It is the largest women's prison in Latin America.And the only one in Mexico City where women's babies live with them after they are born.