When a parent goes to prison, another sentence begins outside its walls. Children lose education, financial security, and emotional support despite committing no crime.
Confronting this forgotten crisis, 16-year-old child activist Deeaa Luthra launched CIP-CARE (Children of Incarcerated Parents-Care, Advocacy, Rights and Empowerment), reaching over 610 families through prison outreach camps across Delhi-NCR, with over 120 affected families signing up for CIP-CARE’s continued assistance through its volunteer-led hotline connecting vulnerable families with essential welfare services.
While estimates suggest nearly 8 lakh Indian children are affected by parental incarceration, India lacks a comprehensive national record of children living outside prisons with incarcerated parents.
Through outreach camps, primarily outside Tihar Jail’s Gates 1, 2, and 4, and other prison complexes across the National Capital Region, Luthra and her volunteers provide regular follow-ups, NGO referrals, help with ration cards and government welfare applications, and emotional support.
“I still remember standing outside Tihar Jail, watching the gates close as children cried for their parents on the other side. I went looking for answers, for some sign that these children were being accounted for. Instead, I realized just how invisible they were. These children are living through a sentence that was never theirs, and I couldn’t simply walk away,” Luthra said.
Her efforts build on five years of work with underprivileged children, including three years supporting children of incarcerated parents through India Vision Foundation, work with the Osborne Association (Brooklyn, NYC), and TalentX, an experiential learning non-profit she co-founded.
Beyond direct assistance, Luthra has filed 127 Right to Information (RTI) applications, questioning how government systems identify, record, and protect these children, and demanding greater accountability for gaps in their welfare.
Guided by “Not my crime. Still my sentence,” CIP-CARE aims to ensure parental imprisonment never deprives children of their rights, education or future.