Safeguarding Children and Young People Who Have Parents in Prison
Contents:
Impact on children and young people having a parent in prison
Impact on children and young people
How can adults support children with relatives in prison?
How to have conversations with children about relatives in prisons
Introduction
The Government’s official statistics of “Estimates of children with a parent in prison[1] estimate that there are approximately 193,000 children and young people who have a parent who is in prison. Many more have a sibling or close family member in prison. The National Information Centre on Children of Offenders (NICCO) estimates the figure is closer to 310,000 and reports that 10,000 children visit public prisons every week.
Previous research suggests that children who experience parental imprisonment are at an increased risk of offending themselves[2]. Children impacted by parental imprisonment experience numerous difficulties across health and social outcomes, and it is vital to ensure multi-agency work recognises children and young people whose parents are in prison and takes appropriate steps to ensure they receive the care and support they need.
[1] Official Statistics in Development: Estimates of children with a parent in prison – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[2] Besemer S, Ahmad SI, Hinshaw SP, and Farrington DP (2017). ‘A systematic review and meta-analysis of the intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior’, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 37, pages 161 to 178
Impact on children and young people having a parent in prison
The impact of having a parent in prison can be wide-reaching for a child with potential implications for a child’s residential and care arrangements, their mental, emotional and physical health, financial circumstances and educational achievement. Research undertaken by Barnardo’s has identified that having a parent or relative in prison can affect children and young people in the same way as any other child suffering from significant loss or trauma, e.g. a child experiencing parental divorce, bereavement or domestic violence.
Research conducted by Barnardo’s has identified a number of themes relevant to children and young people who have a parent or carer in prison:
- Experience stigma: A child may experience stigma or bullying. Stigma can be perceived or actual and can lead to the child becoming isolated and vulnerable.
- Experience Disadvantage: Having a parent or carer in prison increases the likelihood of the child experiencing poverty and there may be an increase of financial instability in the home.
- Mental Health issues: Children are twice as likely to suffer from mental health issues if a parent is in prison. [1]
- Impact on education: Children are at a higher risk of poorer academic achievement and exclusions if a parent is in prison. School attendance can also be affected, for example, if a child is travelling a long distance to attend a prison visit.
- breakdown/lack of support networks (especially if the relative is now in prison, who acted as a primary carer)
- feelings of loss or rejection
- additional care responsibilities are placed on the child.
- Offending behaviour: Children with parents in prison are 3 times more likely to be at risk of antisocial behaviour and offending. 65% of boys with a parent in prison go on to offend. [2]
The transmission of criminality from parents to offspring has been found to be stronger when the parents are imprisoned as opposed to just having a conviction, when a parent is imprisoned for a longer sentence, or when a parent is imprisoned in their children’s lifetime (Murray, Janson and Farrington, 2007; Besemer et al, 2011). In addition to this, previous research implies that the age of the child during their parents’ imprisonment may be linked to the child’s future criminal behaviour, with Besemer et al (ibid) reporting that parental imprisonment during a child’s adolescence is more likely to instigate criminal behaviour. Parental imprisonment before the child is aged 10 is seen to have more influence on the likelihood of antisocial behaviour than other adverse childhood experiences, including parental separation and parental hospitalisation (Farrington, 2000; and Murray and Farrington, 2005).[3]
[1] SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence). Guide 22 Children of Prisoners; Maintaining Family Ties, 2008 www.scie.org.uk
[2] Joseph Murray, David P. Farrington, Ivana Sekol, Rikke F. Olsen, Effects of parental imprisonment on child antisocial behaviour and mental health: a systematic review, Campbell Systematic Reviews 2009:4, 2009
[3] Prisoners’ childhood and family backgrounds (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Recognising Concerns
Practitioners should always be professionally curious; being professionally curious is fundamental to how we work with children, young people, and their families. To work alongside people, we need to understand their perspectives and lived experiences so that we can support them to achieve their full potential. Children and young people may be impacted by the potential stresses of having a parent or carer in prison, but it is also important to explore different perspectives and hypotheses about what may be happening for the child. In some cases, there may be additional reasons why a child is behaving in certain ways that may need additional exploration, and it is therefore important to consider a ‘both/and’ approach to what is happening.
Information Sharing
Information sharing is vital to ensuring that children with parents in prisons are identified and provided with appropriate support. It is important that those organisations who are working with the child and their family are aware that a parent is in prison in order to appropriately identify their care and support needs and, if necessary, make a referral to children’s social care.
Awareness amongst professionals as to the issues facing prisoner families is the first step in building an ‘offer’ for families and creating a safe space in which families and children feel able to disclose their circumstances and seek support.
Using a signs of safety approach, recognising a family’s own expertise in their situations can help to plan sustainable solutions and build resilience within the child’s family and wider support networks.
Impact on children and young people
Arrest of a Parent
An arrest can often take place as part of a police attendance at home; this is a law enforcement action that can be taken when there is suspected involvement in criminal activity.
During this, a child may witness the
- forced removal of their parent,
- parents’ confusion, embarrassment, and shame
- See the parent being disempowered
This may leave the child feeling exposed and vulnerable. The child’s immediate reactions may include feelings of helplessness, bitterness about the way their parent was arrested, and anger toward the arresting officers.
Children and young people often don’t fully understand why police are entering their home, which can leave them feeling confused and anxious. They may find this experience traumatic as their own privacy as well as that of other family members may be invaded.
Traumatic events can evoke powerful psychological and emotional reactions such as an overwhelming sense of terror, helplessness, and horror, as well as physical sensations such as a racing heart, trembling, dizziness, and loss of bowel or bladder control. In the aftermath of trauma, children may become jumpy and hypervigilant, may struggle with intrusive images related to the traumatic events, may be unable to sleep or have nightmares, and may find it difficult to concentrate or take in new information.
Further information about trauma can be found in the video Childhood Trauma and the Brain from the UK Trauma Council.
Parent on Bail
Following an arrest, while waiting for a court hearing or a trial, bail may be given, which is a temporary release of the accused person.
Depending on the crime a person has been charged with, bail can have different conditions for the accused person, for example:
- They may be able to return to their home,
- They may have conditions applied, for example, a curfew time, where they have to be at their address for the designated time.
- There could, in some circumstance,s be conditions to prevent themfrom returning to their home, so a requirement to reside at another address,
- A limitation on the people they can contact.
Where there are bail conditions in place, this could mean that police officers may be visiting the person to check that these conditions are being adhered to. The stress caused by the uncertainty during periods of bail can be significant for everyone in the family.
Court
All criminal cases start in a magistrates’ court. A magistrates’ court normally handles cases known as ‘summary offences’, for example: most motoring offences, minor criminal damage, common assault (not causing significant injury). It can also deal with some of the more serious offences. The general rule is that, whether it be Magistrate or Crown Court, the trial is heard, all hearings are in public, subject to the court’s discretion to order a hearing to be held in private.
Children’s experiences can be significantly impacted by the nature of the offence their parent carer/ significant person has been charged with, due to public regard or offences.
Custody
At the point that a parent/ carer is taken into custody, there can be many practical and immediate impacts on children and families. It is important to realise that not all children react to losing a parent to custody in the same way.
Some examples of impact for both the child and the wider family or network may include (but are not limited to):
Emotional Impact
- Anger/loss/sadness at the loss of a family member, often unexpectedly
- Guilt, blame or relief
- Confusion, particularly if the child has not been told that the parent has been sentenced to custody
- Worry or anxiety, e.g. concern about a family member in prison, or concern for another family member dealing with additional stress
- Sleep disturbances
- Not being able to express concerns or feelings
- Changes in behaviour
- Dealing with the remaining parent’s changes in behaviour/parenting due to the emotional and practical impact on them
- Shame or isolation (compounded by the stigma of having a family member in prison, feeling there is nobody else in the same situation)
- Taking time off school to visit a parent, school may not know and not authorise absence from school
- Loss of concentration, worsening of school attainment
- Deterioration in behaviour
- Trauma
Financial Impact
- Loss of income
- Increased debt
- Demand for additional costs of prison visit,s e.g., transportation.
- Benefit entitlements may change or stop if a parent is sent to prison- the prisoner’s partner must satisfy the benefit entitlement conditions in their own right/ as a single person, to still be entitled to benefits when their partner goes to prison.
Practical Impact
- Losing the family home (more likely if the child’s mother goes to prison compared to their father)
- Moving school
- Loss of friendship networks
- Disruption of childcare routine
- Change in primary caregiver (more likely if the child’s mother goes to prison)
- Break of parents’ relationship- Introduction of new partner for remaining caregiver; new relationships for the child- may include siblings, change in living arrangements
- Stress of prison visits
- Long journeys
- Frightening setting, search/security
- Not being able to interact normally with their parent (the parent isn’t able to get out of their chair)
- Disappointment of cancelled visits
- Risk of being targeted and drawn into crime to replace a parent/ relative/ friend
Release:
Adult prisoners released from prison are subject to either supervision or license periods for a period of time after release.
Offenders may not be able to return to the family home upon release (under licence conditions), which may further impact the relationship with their child.
The release of an offender may be a daunting prospect for the wider family and may add wider instability to the household.
Identifying Support Needs
Children with parents or relatives undergoing criminal proceedings or who have been imprisoned may require additional support from trusted adults around them. Supporting a child with a relative in prison is vital to ensuring these effects don’t escalate.
Laying a foundation of awareness amongst professionals recognising the issues facing prisoners’ families is the first step in building an ‘offer’ for families in this position and in creating a safe space in which families and children feel able to disclose their circumstances and seek support.
Given these increased vulnerabilities, children who have a parent in prison will likely need additional support and provision from statutory services. These experiences may bring about changes in children’s behaviour. If professionals lack an understanding, they may respond negatively to them rather than offering the encouragement and support that the child may need.
The kind of help needed by children of prisoners is mirrored by the support needs of other children suffering from significant loss or trauma, e.g. children experiencing parental divorce, bereavement or domestic violence.
Schools have been identified as well placed to provide support to children with a parent in prison (SCIE 2008; Morgan et a,l 2011). Children value trusting and caring relationships with teachers, being able to receive sensitive and confidential support, and staff understanding what it is like to be a child coping with a parent in prison (Morgan et al, 2011). Schools can also play an important role in protecting children from stigma or bullying and in supporting them academically.
Studies have found that children with parents in prison are at particular risk of internalising difficulties, which can also impact their behaviour.
How can adults support children with relatives in prison?
It is important to always be open and honest about where their parent has gone, even if the child is very young. Children should be told in ways they can understand that their parent has gone to prison, and it is important to be honest about how long that will be.
There can be many barriers to children and young people telling adults that they have a family member in prison, for example, stigma and embarrassment. You may find that children have not been told the true reason why a family member is not around, yet still have to deal with the loss.
When a child or young person has a parent or other close family member in prison, they may have been witness to or involved in the act(s) that led to the prison sentence. The police may have raided the home, there may be gang involvement, parental substance misuse, parental mental ill-health or domestic abuse.
It is important to be aware that the child may hear things from others in the community and may become distressed or feel betrayed by people they have previously trusted. Older children are more likely to understand what is happening and may feel strong feelings of anger or disappointment.
Children should be given the choice as to whether they wish to visit their relative or not, as much as possible. The experience of visiting their relative may cause many conflicting emotions. It is important to consider any risks to the child when attending prison to see the child and how the child is supported before and after a visit.
Children with relatives in prison may not openly talk about their emotions, which may be because of:
- The fear of the stigma, or
- Judgment that they may face from others.
You may not be aware that a child has a parent or relative in prison. If you are worried about a child, talk to them about your concerns and create a space for them to feel safe and supported.
How to have conversations with children about relatives in prisons
If a child discloses to you that they have a parent or carer in prison:
- Allow the child to express him or herself, listen carefully, acknowledge what is said and provide reassurance.
- Be respectful of the child’s feelings and keep the conversation free of judgment.
- Be clear with them about who needs to be told to support them.
- Conversations about their absent parent may feel overwhelming to a child or young person. Give them the time and space to feel their emotions. Prioritise their mental wellbeing and check in regularly with how they are feeling.
- Talk to the child about their needs and focus on what support they might need, and reassure them. Focus the conversation on the child or young person rather than on the offence committed by their parent.
- Reassure the child or young person that the situation is not their fault, that they are not alone, and that they have support.
- Talk to them about their family and wider networks, and what support is available to them. A peer support group may help the child or young person cope with their feelings and give them further social, emotional, and practical support.
Barnardo’s have produced top tips for talking about their feelings, safety and wellbeing. These can be accessed from:
- five tips for talking to children about feelings
- five tips for talking to your child about their safety and wellbeing
Staying in contact
Children and families can maintain contact with a family member in prison in the following ways:
- By writing a letter (letters may be read by prison staff before being delivered).
- Email a Prisoner whereby emails are printed out and delivered to prisoners by a Prison Officer.
- By receiving calls from the prisoners’ telephones (this is expensive and there can be long queues to use the telephone), some prisons may have the facility for text messages to be sent.
- By sending voice messages via the Prison Voicemail Service, and
- Through social visits (either in person or via video technology available in some prisons only).
Prisoners are not allowed access to social networking sites or mobile telephones while in custody (although it should be noted that the illegal use of mobile telephones does occur). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult when visiting a prison; however, in exceptional circumstances and with prior agreement, Governors may allow young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years to visit on their own. Please note that any visit with a child is not directly supervised/monitored by prison staff.
The maximum number of adults allowed at each social visit is 3, but there are no restrictions on the number of children who can visit. The prison should be informed if more than 3 children will be visiting, so that appropriate seating arrangements can be put in place. (This may differ between prisons.)
Family days and child-centred extended visits provide an opportunity for prisoners, their children and partners to come together to enjoy and share family time in a more normalised environment. They are characterised by more relaxed interaction and fewer restrictions than at regular visits. The organisation, availability, style of family days, and prisoner eligibility vary across prisons; details of family days should be contained in the information provided when a family member is imprisoned.
Children should be provided with age-appropriate information about the visits process so they know what to expect; this could include explaining that they may be searched, that dogs who have been trained to detect drugs will be present; that items like mobile phones cannot be taken into visits and that physical contact (hugging etc.) during visits is likely to be restricted.
A risk assessment must be conducted for any prisoner wishing to take part in special children’s visits, or other events which include children and their carers.
Contact Requests
If a prisoner wishes to apply to have child contact, the prisoner must complete an application for contact with each individual child.
It is possible that a request for contact could be made by a parent or by the child directly. If such a request is received, the prisoner must be informed and asked if they wish to submit a request for contact.
In general, prisoners identified as Persons Posing a Risk to Children may only apply for contact with children in their immediate family. This includes biological children, stepchildren, foster children, adopted children, and the children of the prisoner’s partner,r provided they were living together as partners in an enduring family relationship before imprisonment. Applications can also be made for grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews. Contact with a child outside these relationships should only be allowed in exceptional cases.
All prisoners who have been identified as presenting a possible risk of harm to children must be approached and asked if they intend to request child contact. If a prisoner indicates that he/she does not intend to make an application for child contact, both at the time of asking or at a later date, that response will be recorded, and the prisoner must sign a form to that effect. If the prisoner refuses to sign, the enquiring officer must make a note to that effect.
Establishments must complete a multi-agency risk assessment to determine what, if any, contact the prisoner is allowed with a child. Where information is received or the behaviour of the prisoner is seen to indicate a potential risk of harm to a child, then a fully comprehensive risk assessment must be undertaken to determine whether the prisoner should be allowed contact with a child and the extent of such contact.
Risk identification and management must be undertaken in a manner that is proportionate to the individual concerned. Decisions to prevent or restrict contact need to consider the risk presented by the offender, the needs and best interests of the child, balanced against the prisoner’s right to a family life. In all cases, decisions will be based on what is best for the child. The rights of a child to be safeguarded and protected from harm must take priority over an offender’s right to family life as set out in the 1998 Human Rights Act if the offender’s right would mean that contact could place a child at risk.
The overriding principle is that the child’s welfare is paramount, and that any contact must be in the child’s best interest.
Multi-Agency Risk Assessments
A multi-agency risk assessment must be undertaken before contact can be agreed to establish if the visit would be in the best interests of the child. This should include:
- The police are to provide details of the prisoner, including their photograph.
- The prison establishment’s probation officer to provide details of the application for contact and other information relevant to the assessment.
- Where appropriate, the NSPCC, which has developed partnerships with prisons and will search their databases for information related to the risk of harm to a child or young person.
- The Local Authority Children and Young People’s Service for the area in which the child lives, asking them to carry out an assessment of the best interests of the child and provide a written report in line with the assessment framework in Working Together to Safeguard Children. The photograph of the child should be attached to the referral form for the social worker to verify the identity of the child and return to the prison.
- Prison staff should complete the referral with information about the prisoner’s risk and the specifics of the prison environment that will assist the social worker in completing their best interests assessment.
- The primary carer response form should be sent with the referral. As part of the assessment process, the Local Authority’s Children and Young People’s Service should undertake a home visit, during which the views of the child and the primary carer should be ascertained.
- If a child is able to make an informed choice, their views must be considered.
A written report should:
- Outline the child’s circumstances and views.
- Confirm that the photograph supplied by the primary carer is of the child.
- Contain recommendations on what level of contact, if any, the Children and Young People’s Service considers to be appropriate for the child to have with the prisoner; and
- Identify an appropriate adult(s) who will accompany the child when visiting the prisoner.
Within one working day of receiving a referral, the Children and Young People’s Service should decide on the type of response that is required and advise the referrer on the next course of action.
The Governor (or senior manager with suitable delegated authority) is ultimately responsible for assessing what, if any, level of contact should be permitted. If the report received from the Children and Young People’s Service does not address the above bullet points, the Governor will refer the matter back to the Children and Young People’s Service with an express request for this information, unless it is available from other material before them.
Level of Contact
Each assessment is specific to a particular child and cannot be used to determine contact levels with other children. This means that prisoners must apply separately in respect of each child. This can result in a prisoner being allowed different contact levels in respect of different children (including no contact at all).
The level of contact decided can include:
- No contact with any child is permitted
- Contact with a named child only via written correspondence, with no telephone calls or visits
- Contact with a named child is permitted via written correspondence and telephone conversation, but no visits
- No restrictions are necessary, and the child may have contact with a named child via correspondence, telephone calls, visits and family visits.
Monitoring
In adherence with the Prison Public Protection Policy framework and the Authorised Communication Controls and interception policy framework (ACCI), a period of monitoring of all correspondence and telephone calls of prisoners presenting a risk to children must be considered.
Monitoring may then continue, subject to the interception risk assessment process being carried out and regularly reviewed.
Staff monitoring calls and correspondence should be particularly alert to any attempts to groom or manipulate a child or carer. To assist them in doing so, they should also be aware of references made about children in general correspondence.
All contact decisions should be reviewed at least annually, or earlier if there is reason to believe that circumstances or risk levels have changed.
Review must be based on updated information from all agencies involved in the original risk assessment. Prisoners will be informed of any change in contact restrictions.
All prison establishments have appeals procedures for prisoners to appeal against any contact decisions.
Prison staff will observe contact and if they identify a concern about a child or young person, will make a referral to the local authority where the child lives.
Resources
There are a variety of useful resources for supporting a child with a family member who is in prison.
| Organisation | Contact Details |
| The Prisoner’s Families Helpline The Prisoner’s Families Helpline offer free, confidential support and advice for families in England and Wales who have a loved one in contact with the criminal justice system. | Safeguarding Network For schools that subscribe to the Safeguarding Network, Designated Safeguarding Leads can access Posters and training materials from their website |
| Children Heard and Seen Children Heard and Seen is a charity dedicated to helping children, young people, and families affected by parental imprisonment. They are committed to addressing the needs of children and families with a parent in prison, listening to their concerns, and ensuring their voices are heard. They offer tailored one-on-one support from trained practitioners, assistance for parents/carers, peer support groups for both children and carers, engaging online activities, fun-filled activity days and residentials, as well as practical support such as legal advice and guidance on financial well-being. Their services are provided at no cost to families and without the need for a referral from an agency. Further information can be obtained from their website | Home – Children Heard and Seen |
| ChildLine Advice for young people can be obtained by calling ChildLine on 0800 1111 or by visiting their website. | Parents in prison | Childline |
| Staying in Touch UK Government information: Staying in touch with someone in prison | Children with Family Members in Prison | Safeguarding Network |
| National Information Centre on children of offenders NICCO Directory of services and information for families and children | Website: Staying in touch with someone in prison: Letters, video and telephone calls – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
| Prison Chat an online community giving support to those who have a loved one inside the British prison system | https://www.nicco.org.uk/ NICCO information on visiting a prison can be found at https://www.nicco.org.uk/directory-of-resources/visiting-prison Help with the costs of prison visits can be found at: https://www.nicco.org.uk/directory-of-resources/help-with-the-cost-of-prison-visits |
| PACT The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) PACT is an independent UK charity that provides practical services for prisoners and prisoners’ families. | Website: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk |
| Turn2us Help and financial support to families. | Website: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/ https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Partner-in-prison/Benefits-Partner-in-prison |
| Kinship is the leading charity for supporting those who provide kinship care, which is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or friend who isn’t their parent. | Website: https://prisonchatuk.com/ |
| Kinship Kinship is the leading charity for supporting those who provide kinship care, which is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or friend who isn’t their parent. | https://kinship.org.uk/for-kinship-carers/advice-and-support/looking-after-a-child-whose-parent-is-in-prison/ |
| Childline – Parents in Prison Information and advice for children and young people about having a parent or carer in prison, with additional information about siblings in prison | Parents in prison | Childline |
Page reviewed: March 2025
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