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.

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Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

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Yemaya Lyles (right) wipes away tears during a news conference in front of the Rockdale County Public Schools administration building on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Lyles' son, Antonio, was assaulted by a paraprofessional, who has since been fired and charged with battery. Lyles says her case against the school district has dragged on since then. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2023)

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