When a parent is incarcerated, it’s not just the person behind bars who suffers. Children are often called the “hidden victims” of incarceration — carrying shame, trauma, and instability that they did nothing to deserve.

This isn’t just research — it’s happening to my children right now. Because of the punitive way my husband, Eli LaRue, is being treated inside the prison system, our children are experiencing humiliation, instability, and discrimination every time we try to maintain our bond as a family.

Correctional staff have targeted me as a visitor, creating barriers that directly harm my kids’ ability to see and connect with their father. Cancelled visits, arbitrary rules, and discriminatory treatment all erode their sense of safety and stability. That’s why our family has had to bring forward a human rights complaint — not just for Eli, but for our children. Their suffering is now being reviewed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in pre-mediation.

And our story is not unique. Research shows:

Children who witness a parent’s arrest often develop trauma responses similar to PTSD (American Bar Association, 2020).

Having an incarcerated parent is officially recognized as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), linked to depression, anxiety, school failure, and health problems later in life (CDC/Kaiser Permanente Study).

Children of incarcerated parents are three times more likely to end up in the criminal justice system themselves — not because of who they are, but because of the stigma, trauma, and instability created by the system (Murray & Farrington, 2008).
My children deserve better — all children do. When the system punishes Eli beyond his sentence, it punishes us all, especially our kids.

Please continue to stand with us and share this petition to demand accountability from Correctional Services Canada.

[photo shows our son “photo-bombing” a picture with mom and dad, perfect photo for this subject - it’s showing: “we are here too, include us”]