Children in detention - whether in prisons, immigration facilities, for national security or to treat mental health needs or drug use - are incredibly vulnerable. The detention of children and separation from their families can be traumatic enough, but they are also at serious risk of violence, neglect, denial of their civil and political rights and often face stigma and isolation when they leave detention.

We know the dangers of detention and the harm it can cause to children, yet the lack of information about these children is chronic: we don’t even know how many children are held in detention centres around the world. The Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty will change this.

The Study, led by Professor Manfred Nowak, will investigate the situation of children deprived of their liberty around the world and make recommendations on the legitimate use of detention for children and how to realise the rights of children who are detained.

CRIN will be active in the Study and will be reporting on the process to help children’s rights NGOs and activists get involved.

CRIN has launched a campaign website on children deprived of liberty globally, pulling together the available data, visualisations, case law, and provides a call to action for those who want to end child detention.