Children and families and contact with the outside world
The prison supports prisoners’ contact with their families and friends. Programmes aimed at developing parenting and relationship skills are facilitated by the prison. Prisoners not receiving visits are supported in other ways to establish or maintain family support.
75. Prisoners are encouraged to re-establish or maintain relationships with their children and families where it is appropriate and are supported in doing so.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- There is a strategy to help prisoners maintain and enhance their support networks, overseen by a named senior manager.
- There are opportunities for families to be involved in supporting prisoners, particularly those at risk of self-harm, for example during care plan reviews.
- Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is used appropriately to help maintain contact with dependents.
- Prisoners and their families can access interventions for improving parenting and relationship skills.
- Subject to risk assessment, prisoners can visit sick relatives and attend funerals.
- There are imaginative methods for encouraging family contact (for example, audio recordings of stories) and opportunities for prisoners to celebrate their successes with their family and friends.
- Prisoners’ distance from home, frequency of visits, parental status and number of dependents are monitored.
- There are appropriately skilled family support workers who provide support to prisoners and their families. They develop individual plans as necessary, including for release.
- Prisoners who do not receive visits are identified and receive individual support and help to maintain relationships.
- Unused visiting orders can be exchanged for phone credit.
- Prisoners’ families and friends know how to share concerns they have about a prisoner and how to seek support.
76. The prison supports the rights of children visiting their parent in prison, subject to a risk assessment for public protection concerns.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- There is a welcoming visitors’ centre, which has activities to keep children entertained.
- Search and entry processes are child-friendly and proportionate.
- Dog handlers explain the dog search process in language children can understand.
- Children are allowed to have physical contact with their imprisoned parent.
- Access to special/enhanced visits is not determined by incentives and earned privileges (IEP) status.
- Children are safe and can enjoy age-appropriate activities with the prisoner they are visiting.
- There is adequate provision of children’s/family days to meet the needs of the population.
- Prisoners receive advice on how to support their child through the experience of parental imprisonment.
77. Prisoners have regular and easy access to mail, telephones and other communications, subject to a risk assessment for public protection concerns.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- Prisoners can make a free phone call on their first night in a new prison.
- Prisoners’ telephone numbers are added to their PIN account within 24 hours of arrival in the prison.
- Telephones can be used in private, ideally in cell, and there are sufficient to allow daily use.
- Parents are provided with additional free letters and phone calls, and are able to receive incoming calls from dependents.
- Prisoners’ outgoing mail is posted within 24 hours (48 hours when received on Saturday) and incoming mail is received by prisoners within 24 hours of arrival at the prison, including registered and recorded mail.
- Prisoners have access to a range of electronic options (including email and video calls) to maintain family contact.
- Foreign nationals receive additional help and resources to keep in touch with family abroad.
- Prisoners can easily find the telephone numbers of outside organisations and know which numbers they are permitted to call.
78. Prisoners can maintain access to the outside world through regular and easy access to visits. They are aware of the prison procedures and their visits entitlements.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- Prisoners are able to receive a visit within one week of admission and thereafter at least one visit a week for a minimum of one hour, including at weekends.
- Unconvicted prisoners can receive visits at least three times a week, including at weekends.
- The visits booking system is accessible and able to deal with the number and diverse requirements of visitors.
- Prisoners’ visitors are given information about how to get to the prison, visiting hours, what to expect and how to complain.
- Where public transport is poor, the prison provides transport to the prison from local stations.
- Visitors can book visits during a previous visit.
- Closed and no contact visits are authorised only when there is a significant risk arising from visits justified by security intelligence. Decisions are reviewed at least monthly.
- Prisoners without outside contact and support are able to access approved schemes whereby trained volunteers provide support through visits or other forms of communication (such as letters).
- Accumulated/extended or consecutive visits are facilitated to meet the needs of visitors who travel long distances.
79. Prisoners and their visitors are able to attend visits in a clean, safe and respectful environment which meets their needs.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- There is a visitors’ centre which meets the diverse needs of visitors and provides support and advice, including how to raise concerns about prisoners.
- Visitor parking and access arrangements are appropriate, especially for visitors with disabilities.
- Search processes are respectful and proportionate and take account of the needs of people with protected characteristics. Visitors are never strip-searched.
- There are effective systems to collect feedback from prisoners and visitors (including children) about their visits experience.
- Prisoners and visitors have access to toilet facilities at all times.
- Visits areas are comfortable, friendly and welcoming.
- Staff are trained in child safeguarding arrangements and visits staff are aware of children with particular safeguarding needs.
- There are clear processes for identifying visiting children, especially where there are child safeguarding concerns.
- Security arrangements and restrictions on physical contact are not excessive.
- Visitors can buy a good range of refreshments during visits.