Time to invest in families

This representation has been informed by and developed with voluntary sector organisations currently delivering a range of services and advocacy to support those affected by parental and family imprisonment.

This representation recommends that the Ministry of Justice matches its commitment to strengthening prisoners’ families ties with appropriate and adequate investment that enables effective delivery of family work in prisons. It calls for a family services commissioning budget of between £150 and £200 per head for the male estate and an appropriately higher per head budget for the female estate to respond to women’s specific need for additional support and interventions. This investment would take into account the ‘real’ cost of family work, an understanding of its economic and social value (particularly in the context of Covid-19) and the minimum service delivery requirements within the prison estate.