Pact welcomes publication of new data on children with a parent in prison

The government has today published data on the estimated number of children with a parent in prison in England and Wales, placing the figure close to 193,000. Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs said:

"We welcome the government's focus on children with a parent in prison. We will study the data published today and work with the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education, and other voluntary sector organisations, including Children Heard and Seen, to develop solutions that take a child's rights-based approach to minimising harm.

"We know that children affected by parental imprisonment face unique challenges that can be damaging to their development and wellbeing, including emotional distress, stigma and judgement in their community, and social isolation. The purpose of identification must be to safeguard children who may be at risk and provide practical care to children and carers who, while not at risk, may benefit from additional support."

Supporting children with loved ones in prison

Last year, Pact supported 97,000 prison visits across England and Wales for children and young people. In addition to supporting children to stay in touch with their parents in prison, making visits child-friendly and supporting families on their journey, we also:

• deliver training and resources for schools, including a free schools toolkit, to help tackle the stigma of parental imprisonment and encourage children and young people to access support.
• provide trauma-informed training for police officers that has been co-created with children and young people affected by arrests and home raids.
• provide print and online resources for children and young people to help them process events and emotions surrounding their loved one's imprisonment.

Read more about how we support children and young people with parents in prison: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/children-affected-by-imprisonment/ 

Access support and advice

If you are currently supporting a child or young person affected by imprisonment, you can contact the Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 for free, confidential support and advice.

You can also access a range of online resources here: Children & Young People

Contact

Laura Beesley, Head of Communications
media@prisonadvice.org.uk