Directory of Resources

This rehabilitation programme, initiated by the Ministry of Justice, looks to transform the way offenders are managed in the community in order to reduce reoffending. The reforms include statutory supervision in the community for every offender released from custody with the opening of rehabilitation services to a range of providers and the introduction of payment by results for providers. The Ministry of Justice published a consultation on its proposals in early 2013, and since has...

This handbook is a practical resource to help Sure Start Children's Centres support children and their families affected by imprisonment. Children's Centres, with their combination of universal and targeted services, their base in the community, and their potential for early intervention, are a key resource for meeting the needs of this group. This handbook provides practical guidance and suggestions on how Children's Centres can develop their reach to, and practice with, these...

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty setting out the rights that children and young people should be entitled to. Those countries that have ratified the treaty (which includes the UK) are bound to it by international law. Article 9 is of particular relevance to children with a parent in prison, as it states that children should only be separated from their parents when it is in the child's best interest. Furthermore, where the state is responsible for...

Updates on the implementation of recommendations resulting from the Farmer Review: ‘The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners' Family Ties to Prevent reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime’ August 2017   On 5 September 2017 at the launch of the Farmer Review, the Government welcomed the 19 recommendations that resulted from the report.  Progress has been made on most of the recommendations but there are still a handful that will require longer-term...

This short leaflet is aimed at enabling parents and carers (and potentially professionals) to prepare themselves, the children and young people for a prison visit. It offers useful information, discussion topics and things to consider under headings such as talking about the visit, preparing for a visit, the journey, the visit itself and how the child or young person may feel afterwards. There is also a short list of contacts for families that could support practically or emotionally.

This short leaflet details ways of dealing with telling a child that a parent is being sent to prison and can be used by both families and professionals. It covers questions such as what and when you might tell the child, how to deal with the future and whether other people need to know. The leaflet also contains a list of useful contacts for families which might help support a child in this situation. Download 'What shall I tell the children?' below.