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. HMPPS 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 0300 060 66 99 or email [email protected]. 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.
Support for prisoners' families Expand The Prisoners' Families Helpline offers support to families who have a loved one in contact with the criminal justice system, and provides information on all aspects of the criminal justice system. Call the Helpline (Freephone) on 0808 808 2003 (9am - 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am - 3pm at the weekend and bank holidays - exc. 25th & 26th December), email [email protected] or contact the team through their website. 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. Email a Prisoner - currently available at many prisons in the UK. Out There is a registered charity providing emotional and practical support and an information service for families of prisoners in Greater Manchester. Grandparents Plus is a national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children's lives NICCO provides support for all professionals working with prisoners’ children and their families. Prisoner Location Service - use the Prisoner Location Service to find people in prison when you don’t know which prison they are in. Help with Prison Visits - help with travel expenses for families with a loved one in prison. Sussex Prisoners' Families support families and friends of people facing arrest, court or prison in Sussex. They offer information and advice, one to one support, help in court, groups and activities for families. You can email them on [email protected] or call 01273 499 843. Time Matters UK provides group and individual support for children aged 5 - 18 years who have a parent in prison. They are based in Merseyside but welcome children from all over the UK to join.
Support for prisoners and people with convictions Expand 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.
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.
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: [email protected]. 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.
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.
Mental health Expand Mind is 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. SiblingLink run a support group for adults over 18 who have a brother or sister living with mental illness. In whatever capacity, whether registered or unregistered carer, worried for, living with - the person whose sibling is living with mental illness will be experiencing their own concerns and challenges as a result. SiblingLink provide a safe space for those who want to meet and talk through their situation and exchange supportive hints and advice that has worked for them.
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.
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.
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.
Emotional support Expand Samaritans - Samaritans provide confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day, no matter what's on your mind or what you're going through. Phone 116 123 or email [email protected]. 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 counselling services.
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.
Categorisation Find out more about the different categories of prisoner and what they mean. Expand What is categorisation? All adult male prisoners are assigned one of four categories based on the likelihood of escape and the risk to the public if they did escape. They are: Category A: prisoners who would be highly dangerous to the public if they were to escape. Category B: prisoners for whom the highest security conditions are not necessary but for whom escape needs to be made difficult. Category C: prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to attempt to escape. Category D: prisoners who live in open conditions and who are trusted not to try to escape. What about women prisoners and young offenders? Unless they are category A, they are not subject to formal security categories, but are classified as suitable for open conditions or closed conditions. Are remand prisoners categorised? Unless they meet the criteria of category A, remand prisoners are not categorised, they are usually treated as category B. Unconvicted women and young people will be held in a closed prison. Once someone has been assigned a category does it remain the same throughout their sentence? Prisoners serving 12 months or more will have their category reviewed on a regular basis, usually every 3-6 months. If they are deemed less likely to attempt to escape and/or less risk their category may be changed to a lower one. The category can also be raised if a prisoner attempts to escape or their behaviour suggests that they pose more of a risk. Prisoners are often moved to a lower category as their release date approaches, as time in an open prison can help with readjustment for release. Can the prisoner appeal to have their category changed? It is not easy to appeal against categorisation. Prisoners are not told the reasons for their classifications and there is no formal appeal procedure. If the correct procedure was not followed or the decision is legally irrational then it is possible to challenge in the High Court. How does the security category affect the prisoners' sentence? The category determines where a prisoner will serve their sentence. The lower the category, the more freedom they will be allowed. Security will be much tighter in category A prisons, with visitors and mail being subject to more stringent checks.
Self-harm and suicide Are you worried about your loved one in prison and concerned that they may be at risk of self-harm or suicide? Expand If you have serious concerns about a prisoner who has expressed suicidal feelings or threatened to harm themselves in any way, please voice your concerns immediately. You can contact the prison and ask for the Duty Governor or Safer Custody department, and tell him or her about the issue. The switchboard should not refuse to put you through to the Duty Governor if you tell them a prisoner is suicidal, self harming or in physical danger. You can also contact the Prisoners' Families Helpline (0808 808 2003) and our volunteers will be able to get directly in touch with the prison. Will the prisoner be punished? No. If the prisoner is deemed to be at risk of suicide or self-harm the prison will ensure that they are correctly supported and monitored until they are no longer considered to be at risk. What help is available in prison? Prisoners can approach officers on the wing with problems or concerns - if the prison assigns personal officers, that would be the person to speak to in the first instance. If the prisoners prefer to talk to another inmate, many prisons have Listeners who are trained and supported by the Samaritans who will listen to them in confidence and who are available 24 hours a day. Who else can they talk to? Members of the Board of Visitors will visit the prison frequently and the prisoner can request to see one. Most prisons have a direct telephone link to the Samaritans and this can be accessed any time. They can also speak with one of the prison Chaplains.
Staying in touch Find out more about the ways you can stay in touch with your loved one in prison. Expand Letters You can contact a prisoner by writing to them. Normally there is no limit on the number of letters you can send. Most letters sent to and from prison are checked by prison staff. Prisons can’t open letters from solicitors and courts except in special cases, for example if they suspect a letter isn’t really from a legal adviser. You can complain to the prison if you think your letters are being read when they shouldn’t be, or if your letters aren’t reaching the prisoner. Telephone calls The prisoner has to call you using a prison phone. Prison staff can listen to and record most types of call. Some calls aren’t monitored, for example when a prisoner calls a legal adviser. - New arrivals The prison should allow new arrivals the opportunity to make a telephone call when they arrive to let their families know where they are. This may not happen if they arrive late in the evening or if the reception process takes a long time. Prisoners are not allowed mobile phones, so please bear in mind that if they have not written down or memorised their stored phone numbers, they may not be able to get in touch. Once in prison, the prisoner has to pay for telephone calls, so they will not be able to call until they have money in their account. Prisons operate a PIN system for the telephones which may take a few days to set up so this can cause a delay in them making contact. There may also be specific times of day when prisoners are able to use the phone, and they may have to queue. Email You cannot email prisoners directly, but some prisons use a service called Email a Prisoner. If you send a message this way, it will be printed out and delivered by prison staff. Each email costs 35p and you need to buy credit to use the service. In some prisons, prisoners can also reply through Email a Prisoner. Contact the prison to find out if they allow this. Secure Video Calls Some prisons offer a secure video call service called Prison Video. You will need to use the Prison Video app on your phone or tablet device to have a video call with someone in prison. The Prison Video app is available to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store (or equivalent app stores outside the UK). HMPPS has produced a user guide and a list of frequently asked questions that will give you all the information you need to start using Prison Video. You can find this at https://www.prisonersfamilies.org/change-of-video-call-service Only people aged 18 or over can register for an account with Prison Video. Social Media Prisoners are not allowed to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter whilst in prison. Urgent messages Prison chaplains can usually pass on urgent messages, especially about things that could be upsetting for the prisoner such as a death in the family.