Some children make up lies about their parents. That's because  their parent is in prison. One girl tells the other kids that her mother works for the government and is away.

Whatever crime their parent commits, the children pay their own price: a parent absent for years, the stigma of a loved one behind bars, having to move in with grandma.

These children are the invisible victims, the collateral damage, the unintended orphans.

State officials say these children will benefit from recent reforms of the criminal justice system, but community advocates say the jury is still out.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The air traffic control tower is seen on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, while smoke rises from the crash site of UPS flight 2976 near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. 
(Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez