The families of prisoners are still being forced apart despite an easing of Covid-19 restrictions and this is having long-term effects on children, an expert says.
Face-to-face visits at prisons were stopped during the August lockdown last year and during an outbreak of Covid in January. Data shows these visits still aren't happening for almost two-thirds of prisoners.
Maxine Gay from Pillars, a group representing the families of those in prison, told Breakfast these restrictions are having a long-term effect on families, especially children.
"From our point of view, the last several months are really constituting an abuse of families' human rights to maintain contact with their loved person," she said.
READ MORE: Thousands of prisoners denied visits due to Corrections' Covid policy
"Children of people in prison are being harmed, and the harm is real."
Gay said not being able to contact a loved one in prison can cause a significant amount of long-term damage to children.
"At the very best of times, they suffer high emotional trauma. Being denied access to the person that they love and care about amplifies that trauma."
She said that it breaks down the family unit and causes parents and children to alienate themselves from each other.
"It causes this enormous disconnect, so if and when they do finally have some contact they don't know each other, they don't know who that other person is.
"We have 14-year-olds whose mum is the person they listen to. Being deprived of that contact with mum has meant that young woman goes completely off the rails because she has not had contact with her mother for several months," Gay said.
She said that this can lead to high levels of self-harm, alienation and anxiety in those who are on the outside, not knowing what's happening in prison.
Children are also unable to talk to their parents when significant life moments happen and are unable to receive proper guidance, Gay said.
Gay said prisoners only get one hour per day to get fresh air, shower and have a change from their cell, leaving them with little time to call their families.
"A lot can go wrong during this period and they might not have time to contact their family."
Gay said the restriction of face-to-face visits is an abuse of human rights and is calling on the Government to take action to protect the families.
"The Government needs to do whatever it takes to ensure that people are able to maintain contact...What we've had for up to 12 months are huge numbers of people being deprived of that right to visit and maintain contact with their loved ones."
Lawyer Nigel Hampson KC also told Breakfast the issue is a breach of human rights.
"The human being is the ultimate unit of the law. If that is so, then that persons ability to remain in contact with family, with whānau, with parents and with children is so important.
"If we want to stop the cycle of people reoffending and young people offending, what effect does that have on those young people on the outside who can't maintain contact with their parents," he remarked.
Corrections' Deputy National Commissioner Leigh Marsh told 1News on Wednesday he didn't think there is a human rights issue.
"We're not denying the connection between prisoners and their families," he said.
Marsh said prison staff are doing their best to provide alternative options such as phone and video calling.
"It's very difficult for both prisoners and our staff that are wanting to make that happen. But it's the reality of what we're dealing with at the moment," he said.
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