Working with children and families affected by Imprisonment

Activities Prison-based services: Children’s Visits Play areas in visits halls Family-friendly Visitors Centres Parenting courses for prisoners Family liaison Community-based services: Prisoners’ Families’ Helpline (national) 1:1 support for children Education links Research & evaluation Publications

OBJECTIVE: To consult extensively with children and families, including prisoners and to develop a range of prison based programmes that respond to their needs and expressed choices Key Recommendations from HMP Hollesley Bay survey: Provision of a Visitors Centre is strongly recommended Establish a children’s play area in the Visits Hall Introduce Children’s Visits to encourage father-child bonding Arrange transport from station for visits x

“They’re big dogs and you’re quite small”

OBJECTIVE: To enable children to maintain relationships and regular contact with an imprisoned parent/carer Referring to Children’s Visits: “He can see the changes in the kids as they grow up, see the stages of development they’re at. It helps him to feel he’s not missing out so much on their growing up & he’ll understand them better when he gets out.” Partner of Prisoner “The children need to feel secure with us again and a children’s visit is an opportunity for this to happen.” Male Prisoner “ I liked the games and playing with my Dad and the gym lady was kind. Thank you for a great day.” 7 year old.

OBJECTIVE: To recognise and value prisoners in their parenting role and retain an active sense of family and parental responsibility throughout and following their sentence From fathers on the ‘You & Your Child’ parenting course: “The course made it possible to still feel like a father even though I’m inside and not getting visits.” “It made me think about getting a job & acting like a family man instead of doing what I want to do all the time.” “It’s given me more knowledge & now I talk to my kids more. We discuss what they need, they say to me, ‘Dad, you’ve changed!’”

OBJECTIVE: To ensure that other service providers and other community based groups become aware of and responsive to the experience and issues faced by children/families with a member in prison “No-one knows and Mum is scared that we will be taken into care, so we don’t talk to anyone except you lot as you know where we are” 9 year old boy in Visitor Centre

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate – to government, policy-maakers and the public – the longer-term impact of supporting families with a member in prison and the value of investing in family support services as a resource in the proces of rehabilitation. NOMS/DCSF: Children of Offenders Review 2008: “There is little support for parents as carers of a child of a prisoner, poor understanding of how support to the carer can indirectly support the child, and little recognition in the criminal justice system that prisoners are parents…”

Two year research partnership study: ‘Risk and protective factors in the resettlement of imprisoned fathers into their families’

For copies of publications... Ormiston Children & Families Trust 333 Felixstowe Road Ipswich IP3 9PU Tel Further information on: or contact: