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FAIR: The Families and Imprisonment Research Study

 
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On this page you can find further information and resources about prisoners and their families. Click below to navigate to the different sections. 

 

1.  Support organisations for prisoners and their families

2.  Training and consultancy in supporting the families of prisoners

3.  Policy reports and frameworks

4.  General resources

 


 

Wordart5Support organisations for prisoners and their families

Below are descriptions and contact details for a range of organisations that provide information and assistance to prisoners and their families.

 

 

 

 

 

A charity supporting all aspects of family life. Their Action for Prisoners’ and Offenders’ Families programme offers a free helpline and information leaflets or families. 

 

 

A charity that supports children and their families. Their “Unite” programme supports prisoners and their families across the East of England.

 

 

A charity set up by offenders’ families for offenders’ families. They offer a wide range of support, including prison visitors centres, supportive keyworkers for family members, a women’s centre in Oldham, employability programmes, and a dry bar.

 

 

pact

A charity providing a wide range of support to prisoners and their families, including a free advice line, support for children, court support, and befriending schemes.

 

 

A charity that works to increase the justice, humanity and effectiveness of prisons. They run a free Advice and Information Service for prisoners and their families.

 

 


 

 

Wordart6Training and consultancy in supporting the families of prisoners

 

 

The SCIE are a charity working with adults’, families’ and children's care and support services across the UK. It is funded by the UK Department of Health. They have produced a set of e-learning materials to assist practitioners in developing suitable policies/procedures to address the needs of prisoners' children. Click here to access their e-learning suite. 

 

 

'Hidden Sentence' is a training package for professionals whose work brings them in contact with prisoners’ families, including children’s centre workers, troubled families workers, school staff, play workers, health visitors, and family intervention teams. This course gives a clear overview of the issues facing prisoners’ families and provides a range of strategies and resources to help support them.

 

 

NICCO is a knowledge hub for professionals working with children and families of offenders. It includes research, training materials, resources and guidance.  

 

 


 

 

Wordart3Policy reports and frameworks

 

 

Community justice authorities: Scotland. 

Framework for the support of families affected by the Criminal Justice System

A framework developed for use by Scottish criminal justice agencies recommending 11 broad outcomes that constitute an ideal minimum standard of support which should be available to families affected by the criminal justice system. It includes recommendations for achieving these outcomes and examples of best practice. 

 

 

Ministry of Justice: UK

The importance of strengthening female offenders' family and other relationships to prevent reoffending and reduce intergenerational crime

An independent report to the UK Government on a review of the role of families in rehabilitation. It reviews evidence of the impact of family ties and makes recommendations for improvements to policy and practice with female prisoners. 

The importance of strengthening prisoners' family ties to reduce reoffending and reduce intergenerational crime

An independent report to the UK Government on a review of the role of families in rehabilitation. It reviews evidence of the impact of family ties and makes recommendations for improvements to policy and practice with male prisoners. 

 

 

HM Inspectorate of Prisons: UK

Life in prison: Contact with families and friends

 A review of findings from adult prison inspections from April 2015 to March 2016 on the experiences of prisoners trying to keep in touch with their families from inside. 

 

 

Ministry of Justice/Department for Children, Schools and Families: UK

Reducing reoffending: Supporting families, creating better futures

A national framework developed to guide practitioners on the tasks that should form part of the management of offenders throughout their journey through the criminal justice system, in order to support offenders and their families. 

 

Ministry of Justice/Department for Children, Schools and Families: UK

Children of offenders review

This report examines the needs and outcomes for the children of offenders and makes recommendations for improving practice. 

 

 

National Offender Management Service/Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: UK

Parenting and relationship support programmes for offenders and their families

A review of the current provision of family based support services; current commissioning practice; the needs of offenders and their families; evidence on outcomes and examples of best practice. 

 

 

Prison and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales

Learning lessons bulletin issue 5: Maintaining family ties

A selection of case studies demonstrating lessons learnt from complains concerning issues with maintaining family ties in prison. 

 

 

Prison Reform Trust

Keeping in touch: The case for family support work in prison

A review of the implementation of Family Contact Development Officers (FCDOs) in the Scottish Prison Service. It examines the benefits and difficulties of the scheme, examples of good practice and the experiences of prisoners and their families. Recommendations for further development across the Scottish and UK Prison Services are made. 

 

 

 

 

 


 

  

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General resources

Advice to Staff: From the Mother of A Prisoner

A mother of a prisoner approached us with some thoughtful advice for staff supporting prisoners' families. You can read it here

 

The experiences of families affected by imprisonmemt: Ormiston Children and Families Trust

Click here for  videos showing the experiences of imprisoned families, by Ormiston Families.

 

 

Prisoners' Women: A BBC Radio 4 documentary

This radio documentary contains first-hand accounts of the partners and families of prisoners. Click the image to listen. 

Prisoners Women

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institute of Criminology

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Centre for Community, Gender & Social Justice

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Economic and Social Research Council

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