Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment
Parental (and familial) imprisonment is an overlooked Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), mainly because there is no statutory mechanism in place to identify and support these children. This means that even services who know families well as often unaware when a parent is arrested or taken into custody. This, in combination with the shame and stigma or being associated with the criminal justice system, means that 80% of families do not disclose to anyone or seek help, and are not known to services. It is estimated that 1 in 15 children will experience this at some point in their life – 192,912 children each year have a parent in prison, although it is not known who these children are or whether they are receiving support. A significant factor for the South West is that there are no prisons in Cornwall, three men’s prisons in Devon, and no women’s prison west of Bristol, meaning prisoners can be sent far away from their children.
What is the impact?
Children affected by parental imprisonment often suffer their wide range of emotions and experiences in silence, and are more likely to have poor mental health, low self-esteem, and be emotionally dysregulated, impacting their ability to function and learn. Without compassionate support, they are also more likely to disengage from education, which can lead to:
- Lower academic achievement
- Increased risk of anti-social behaviour
- Increased risk of exploitation
- Increased risk of involvement in the criminal justice system
- Experiencing social disadvantage
To improve outcomes for these children it is vital that we overcome the barriers to ensuring that affected families are offered support, kept safe, and given the opportunity to have their questions answered and their feelings heard. Where it is safe to do so, it is beneficial for families to maintain contact, whilst respecting their own needs and preferences, confidentiality, and right to privacy.
Essential signposting
Prison Reform Trust – have created the ‘All About Me’ Child Impact Assessment form which has been developed alongside children with lived experience. You can find this here: “This is Me”: A Child Impact Assessment toolkit | Prison Reform Trust.
Safer Stronger Families
Cornwall Council and Devon County Council have worked together to develop an online resource for children and families available here: @saferstrongerfamilies | Linktree
Prisoners’ Families Helpline
Prisoners’ Families Helpline (prisonersfamilies.org)
PACT
The PACT service offer is based in prisons and supports family visits. There is also a resource created specifically for children available here: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/locked-out.
SPACE Youth Services
Space Youth Services have been funded to deliver tailored support for children in Devon in 2025-2026, through a programme called Not My Sentence.
Argyle Community Trust
Argyle Community Trust are commissioned by Cornwall Council and are being funded directly by some schools in Devon to support individual children, using Pupil Premium funding.
CASS Plus
CASS Plus support magistrates and family courts in Exeter, Newton Abbot, and Plymouth. They often meet and support families of the people appearing in court and are able to signpost families to other support.
Shekinah – Make Amends
Make Amends is an award-winning victim support commissioned service for Devon and Cornwall. A project of Shekinah, Make Amends delivers restorative justice. The service provides support to people who have been affected by crime, conflict, anti-social behaviour, or harm caused by the actions of others. They can offer support to children as well as adults, and recognise children affected by imprisonment as victims in their own right. They can work directly with the prisoner and the family, where all parties are consenting to restorative justice process.
Exeter Community Initiatives
Victim support commissioned service for Devon and Cornwall. Family Support Workers are skilled in engaging families and work in partnership with them to agree a way forward through the challenges they are facing. Work with families includes across a range of areas including parenting support approaches; capturing and sharing the voice of individuals in the family; recovery from adverse experiences; relationship conflict in the family; navigating multi-agency meetings; signposting and connecting to wider or specialist services. More information is available here: Family Resource – Exeter Community Initiatives (eci.org.uk).
bthechange CIC
bthechange CIC offer a range of services including support for first time criminal justice system entrants.