At Pact we believe that everyone is capable of making a fresh start and, given the opportunity and the right support, we see this happen time and time again. Prisoners who are able to develop, maintain and deepen their relationships with their families are 39% less likely to go on to reoffend after release. 

Pact has been working with prisoners and their families and in the wider community for over 120 years. We don’t assume a one-size-fits-all policy for supporting men and women in prison: our staff and volunteers take the time to get to know people, their individual circumstances and their domestic situations and then offer support and encouragement where it’s needed. We believe in the innate dignity of all people, and that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness. 

A boy whose father is in prison is 65% more likely to go to prison himself.

Children of prisoners are a hidden population. Parental imprisonment is not an automatic trigger for social care, yet losing a parent to prison can have devastating consequences for individual children and for our wider communities. Some children may also witness the arrest of a parent. Children of prisoners are three times more at risk of developing mental health problems than other children. We work to strengthen family relationships and disrupt the cycle of intergenerational crime.

About 310,000 children in England and Wales live with the experience of parental imprisonment.

We all want to live in a safer society. Everyone wants to see crime rates drop and to feel safer on our streets and in our homes. Supporting people to make a fresh start builds stronger families and it also builds stronger communities. 

Our support goes beyond the prison walls. Pact is there to help with the transition back to the community after a custodial sentence. People being released from prison need three things to succeed: somewhere to live, something to do, and someone to love. Our ‘Through the Gate’ mentors are there to support people through the earliest days of their release to help make sure that they are given the best possible chance of success.

By supporting Pact, you not only are directly affecting the lives of prisoners, their children and families, you are also helping to build a safer and brighter future for everyone. 

Find out more

Watch Hidden Sentences: Voices of Prisoners' Families to find out more about our work:

You might also enjoy watching:

• The Pact Story which will take you through over 120 years of Pact's history and evolution.
• Our Impact which shows the life-changing consequences of our most recent work.