This paper from Families Outside looks into how families are affected financially by imprisonment.
It first gives an overview of some previous findings, but acknowledges that research that focusses on how families are affected financially has been limited. It then details its own study of Scottish families conducted in 2012. The study drew on use of the Families Outside helpline, referrals to Families Outside family support workers, interviews with Families Outside workers, questionnaires completed by family support staff, and questionnaires completed by family members themselves. From this information, the study considers a number of costs that families incur once one member has gone to prison: for example, costs associated with visiting the prisoner, access to bank accounts held in the prisoner's name, and delays re-assessing benefit claims both as the prisoner is imprisoned and post-release. Based on its findings, this report lists a number of recommendations that could help to ease the financial impact of imprisonment on families. These include recommendations for how prisons can monitor the impact imprisonment has on the family as well as ensuring this impact is reduced by referring families to assistance schemes. Additional recommendations include all relevant agencies should consider how benefits reform will affect families, undertake training on financial issues, and ensure families receive all available information on financial assistance appropriate to them.
Read about the financial impact of imprisonment on Scottish families below:
