Scotland and Northern Ireland Expand Pact provides services in England and Wales. If you are looking for support in Scotland please contact Families Outside and for support in Northern Ireland, contact NIACRO.
Campaigning and Umbrella Organisations Expand Prison Reform Trust - carry out research, campaign for prison reform, and provide information and resources to the public and prisoners. Howard League for penal reform - carries out research, lobbies Parliament, and campaigns for prison reform. CLINKS - the national umbrella body for organisations that work with prisoners, at prisons and with probation services. Inquest - campaigns against deaths in custody, and offers free advice to bereaved families and friends, lawyers, policy-makers and the public. CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) - an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and an independent charity. CSAN works to support poor, vulnerable and marginalised people to find their voice and to enable them to improve their lives.
Drugs and alcohol Expand Adfam - works to support families affected by drugs and alcohol. They provide direct support to people through publications, prison visitors' centres, and outreach work. Alcoholics Anonymous - the leading national organisation for people who have problems with alcohol or are addicted. They have a confidential helpline: 0845 769 7555. Release - offers a range of specialist services to professionals and the public concerning drugs and the law. They give free and confidential advice to drug users, their families and friends, and others about legal issues relating to drugs. Their helpline number is 0856 4500 215. Frank - Frank offers free, confidential advice, 24 hours a day. You can e-mail them, or phone 0300 123 6600. You can talk to Frank in 120 languages. There's a very useful "A-Z of drugs" on their website. Al-Anon Family Groups - support groups that are for, and run by, friends and relatives of alcoholics. Group meetings take place all over London; visit their website for a directory. Anyone who has been affected by someone else's drinking is welcome to attend.
Emotional support Expand Samaritans - Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day, for people who are worried, upset, confused, dispairing or suicidal. Phone 08457 90 90 90. Childline - for children who are worried and need to talk about anything. Calls are free and confidential: the number is 0800 1111. Counselling Directory UK - a national directory of counsellors and couselling services.
Faith organisations Expand Community Chaplaincy Association - Community Chaplaincies work alongside prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families, offering practical, social, relational and spiritual support within prison, through the gates and out in the community. Prisons Week and Prisoners' Sunday - Every year, the church marks Prisons Week and Prisoners' Sunday. Pact joins them by making available a Parish Pack full of useful tips and ideas. Catholic Social Action Network - CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the social action arm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Welcome Directory - a nationwide directory of faith communities who have identified themselves as places that will provide a genuine welcome and appropriate support for people leaving prison. Prison Fellowship - support for prisoners by coming alongside them, praying and supporting them to change.
Housing and Homelessness Expand Shelter - provides housing advice and information, and campaigns for decent housing for everyone. St Mungo's - London's largest charity for homeless people. It provides practical support to homeless people in London. Centrepoint - a national charity that supports homeless young people. It provides a range of accommodation, including emergency nightshelters, and special projects for ex-offenders. Crisis - a national charity for homeless people that runs Crisis Skylight, Crisis Open Christmas, and much more. LHF - is the London Housing Foundation, who fund projects and ideas to tackle homelessness in London. Thames Reach - a London charity helping homeless and vulnerable people to find decent homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives.
Information about prisons Expand If you would like any more information on how we or other organisations can help you, please call our helpline on 0808 808 3444. Ministry of Justice - the government department that runs the Prison Service, as well as the courts, probation, criminal law and sentencing. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons- the independent inspection body which reports on conditions in prisons in England and Wales. You can download inspection reports directly from their website. Prisons and Probation Ombudsman - the ombudsman, Stephen Shaw, investigates complaints from prisoners and others. He is completely independent from the Prison Service and the Probation Service. Inside Time - the newspaper for prisoners. Their website also contains information about prisons and visiting someone inside. Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody - an independent panel that helps shape government policy in this area.
Mental health Expand Mind - a mental health charity, making sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone. Rethink - helps over 48,000 people a year and runs more than 130 support groups for people with mental health problems. Their website contains lots of useful information and advice. Sane - the SANEline telephone helpline is open every day from 6pm - 11pm. Call 0845 767 8000.
Money and debt Expand Shelter - Provides information and advice around debt and arrears. Citizens Advice Bureaux - CABs provide free advice about debt and money, plus a host of other issues. Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) - a registered charity that provides confidential advice and support to people who are worried about debt. National Debtline - free, independent advice about debt problems. Visit their website for factsheets, advice, sample letters and more; or call their helpline on 0808 808 4000. Quaker Social Action (Made of Money) - support on gaining control of your financial future.
Parents and carers Expand Grandparents' Plus has launched an advice service for grandparents and other family members who are bringing up the child of a relation or a friend. The telephone line - 0300 123 7015 - is open 10am-3pm Monday-Friday; email: advice@grandparentsplus.org.uk. Family Rights Group - the charity in England and Wales that advises, advocates and campaigns for families whose children are involved with, or require, social care services. Separated Families - a national charity that works with everyone affected by family separation in order to bring about better outcomes for children. Family Lives - a charity that provides support and advice to parents. There's a freephone helpline - 0808 800 2222. Gingerbread- campaigns for single parents and their children, and operates a Single Parent Helpline: 0808 802 0925. Family Rights Group - this charity advises parents (and other family members) whose children are involved with or require social care services. They run a confidential phone advice service for families: 0845 4349585 Contact a Family - for families with disabled children. They provide a vast range of factsheets, e-bulletins, a special "dads area" on their website, and a freephone helpline: 0808 808 3555.
Restorative justice Expand The Restorative Justice Consortium - the national voice for restorative justice organisations in England and Wales. The Forgiveness Project - works in prisons, schools, faith communities, and with anyone who wants to explore the nature of forgiveness.
Support for offenders and ex-offenders Expand If you'd like to talk with one of our advisors about how we or any other organisations could help you, please call our helpline on 0808 808 3444. Prison Voicemail - a service enabling families to exchange voicemail messages with their loved ones in prison. Prison Reform Trust's advice and information service - provides free information about prison life, rules and regulations, and prisoners' rights. They also give advice and assistance (please note they cannot give legal advice). Prisoners (or their relatives) can write to them or phone 020 7251 5070. Nacro's Resettlement Plus Helpline offers information and advice to ex-offenders, serving prisoners, their families and friends about issues such as how to find work, getting somewhere to live, and dealing with a criminal record. Call freephone 0800 0181259. Unlock - the national association of reformed offenders. Unlock assists serving and former offenders who want to become productive members of their local communities, and campaigns on behalf of reformed offenders. Stop it Now - supports adults to play their part in preventing child sexual abuse. Call the freephone helpline on 0808 1000 900. Prisoners Advice Service - free legal advice for prisoners.
Support for prisoners' families Expand If you would like to find out more about the services and support that we provide for prisoners' families, please click here. You can also call our helpline on 0808 808 3444. Offenders' Families Helpline - the Offenders' Families Helpline has a freephone number that you can call for advice and support: 0808 808 2003. Prison Chat UK - an online community giving support to those who have a loved on inside a British prison. Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPS)- a charity that runs visitors' centres and supports prisoners' families in the North West of England. Ormiston Trust- works to promote the well-being of children and young people, including prisoners' children; this includes running visitors' centres and play services. Nepacs - works in the north east of England to support a positive future for prisoners and their families for over 130 years. Provides children's play facilities, tea bars and play areas in visitors' centres and offers support to offenders' families. E-mail a Prisoner - currently available at several prisons in the UK. Out There - this organisation is an initiative of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. They support prisoners' families in the greater Manchester area. Grandparents Plus - a national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children's lives i-HOP - a one-stop knowledge hub to support all professionals in working with children and families of offenders, bringing together useful information in one place. Prisoner Location Service - use the Prisoner Location Service to find people in prison when you don’t know which prison they are in. Assisted Prison Visits - help with travel expenses for families with a loved one in prison.
Victim support Expand Victim Support - the national charity for people affected by crime. They provide free and confidential support and advice for victims of crime. NOMS Victim Helpline - if you are a victim of crime, or the relative of a victim, and you have received unwanted contact from a prisoner, or you are worried about their release from prison, call the helpline on 0845 7585 112. Family Matters - counselling service based in Kent for children and adult survivors of sexual abuse and rape. Survivors UK - support & counselling for male victims/survivors of rape and sexual abuse, as well as their family and friends.
Relationship Support Expand Marriage Care - supports couples and individuals to build and sustain strong, fulfilling healthy relationships, as well as providing counselling support in times of relationship difficulty. Relate - offers counselling services for every type of relationship nationwide. Provides advice on marriage, LGBT issues, divorce and parenting. Tavistock Relationships - relationship counselling and support.