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Help prisoners and their families with a one-off gift or regular monthly donation.
Family and relationships have the single biggest impact on reoffending. People in prison who maintain and strengthen family bonds are 39% less likely to commit further crimes.
We all want to live in a safer society. 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.
How we help
People being released from prison need three things to succeed: somewhere to live, something to do, and someone to love.
- We work to strengthen family relationships and break the cycle of intergenerational crime.
- Our support goes beyond the prison walls. Pact is there to help with the transition back to the community after a custodial sentence.
- 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.
How you can help
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.
We believe in the innate dignity of all people, and that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness.
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 again. Prisoners who are able to develop, maintain and deepen their relationships with their families are 39% less likely to go on to commit crime again 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 domestic situations and then offer support and encouragement where it’s needed.
Prisoners' children - a hidden population
It is estimated that:
- between 200,000 and 310,000 children in England and Wales have a parent in prison.
- children of prisoners are three times more at risk of developing mental health problems than other children.
- 50% of families are concerned about affording what they need to care for their children (findings from our 2023 survey on the financial impact of a loved one in prison).
Imprisonment of a parent is not an automatic trigger for social care for the children affected. Yet losing a mum or dad to prison can have devastating consequences for individual children and for our wider communities. And witnessing the arrest of a parent can traumatise a child.
