Prisoners, People Leaving Prison and Family Support

Relatives are often told very little. The police may not share details because of privacy rules and because an investigation is active. That is normal and does not mean something has gone wrong.

Anyone questioned at a police station can ask for free, independent legal advice from a solicitor, at any time of day or night. It is always sensible to ask for that advice.

Sixpence Support UK cannot advise on pleas, evidence or what somebody should say in an interview. Those questions are for a qualified criminal solicitor.

People may be held in police custody first, then taken to court cells for a hearing. From court, a person may be released, remanded into prison while the case continues, or sent to prison under a sentence.

In England and Wales, the official Find a Prisoner service can help you locate somebody in the prison system. Identity checks are needed, the prisoner’s permission may be required, and replies are not immediate.

Being on remand means a person is held while waiting for a trial or for sentencing. A person on remand has not been convicted of the matter they are waiting on, and should not be treated as if they had been.

Some prison rules, such as those about property, work and visits, can differ for people on remand. Check with the individual prison.

Every prison publishes its own page with contact details, visiting arrangements and local rules. Start with the official list, then read that prison’s page carefully before arranging anything.

People can be moved between prisons, sometimes at short notice, and families are not always told in advance. If letters or bookings stop working, check whether a transfer has happened.

On arrival there is a reception process: identity and property checks, an initial assessment, a health screening, and decisions about where the person will live in the prison. The person is usually helped to set up an approved list of telephone contacts.

This takes time. If you do not hear anything for the first few days, it does not automatically mean something is wrong.

In England and Wales the prisoner normally makes the call to an approved number. Family members cannot simply telephone a prisoner directly.

Most prison calls may be listened to and recorded. Calls to a legal adviser have separate protections and different arrangements apply to them.

Write the person’s full name and prisoner number on the envelope, along with the correct prison address. Without the prisoner number, post can be delayed or returned.

Most ordinary post may be opened and checked. Delivery times vary between prisons and cannot be promised. Keep copies of anything important you send.

Prisoners cannot ordinarily receive normal emails. Some prisons accept messages through an approved secure service, which may charge a fee and is not a government service.

Check the individual prison’s official page for which service, if any, it accepts before paying for anything.

Some prisons offer secure video calls. Approval, booking, the app or system used and the number and length of calls vary between prisons, so nothing here can be promised for your situation.

Usually the prisoner adds you to a visitor list first. You then book a visit, take accepted identification with you, arrive in good time and pass through security checks. Rules about what you may bring in, lockers, clothing and mobile phones are set by each prison.

Children can normally visit with an adult, but identification and consent requirements apply. Always read the specific prison’s visiting page before travelling.

People on a low income or receiving certain benefits may be able to claim help with travel and some related costs for visits to a close relative or partner. There are time limits for claiming and rules about who counts as a close relative.

Eligibility cannot be guaranteed. Check the official scheme before assuming a claim will succeed.

Prepare a child honestly, in language suited to their age, so the visit is not a shock. Explain that there will be checks, that a member of staff may search bags, and that there may be a wait.

Check which identification is needed for a child. Many prisons have a visitors’ centre or family service that can explain child-friendly arrangements, family days and play facilities — ask them before you travel.

• Reassure the child that the imprisonment is not their fault.
• Avoid making promises about release dates or visits that may not happen.
• Tell the school or its safeguarding lead where that would help the child.
• Allow different feelings, including anger, sadness, embarrassment, loyalty or relief.
• Never pressure a child to keep contact where contact may be unsafe for them.

Family contact is not always appropriate. Domestic abuse, stalking, sexual offences, child-protection concerns, restraining orders, bail conditions and licence conditions can all restrict who may contact whom.

Safety comes first, and any court order or safeguarding instruction must be followed even if a relative disagrees with it. Get specialist advice rather than deciding alone.

In England and Wales money is normally sent through the official online service, or by another method that the individual prison accepts. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.

Never send cash in the post, and never pay money to a person you do not know who claims it will reach a prisoner. If somebody pressures you for a payment, treat it as a warning sign.

Rules about property differ by prison and by security category, and they change. A list here would quickly become wrong and could waste your money.

Check the individual prison’s official page, or telephone the prison, before buying or posting anything. Items that are not allowed may be refused, stored or returned.

Some families are contacted and pressured to send money because of a debt or threat inside prison. Do not pay unknown people and do not transfer money under pressure.

Keep the messages, note dates and times, and contact the prison’s Safer Custody team. If somebody outside prison is being threatened or is in immediate danger, call 999.

Prisoners can ask prison healthcare for help with physical and mental health, dental care and long-term conditions, in a similar way to seeing a GP in the community.

Families can pass relevant information to the prison, and it is usually worth doing so. Confidentiality means healthcare staff often cannot share the person’s medical details back without their consent.

Needs relating to physical disability, sensory loss, autism, learning disability, dyslexia, communication difficulties or mental-health conditions should be raised as early as possible — with prison healthcare, prison staff, the probation practitioner and the person’s solicitor.

Say plainly what support is needed: easy-read letters, extra time, a quiet space, a hearing loop, help understanding forms, or somebody present at meetings.

Prison healthcare assesses and supplies medication. Families must not send medication into prison, and should not stop or change anything themselves.

If you are worried that essential medication has not been given, contact prison healthcare. If you believe there is an immediate risk of serious harm, contact the prison and ask for Safer Custody.

Every prison has a Safer Custody team. Its telephone number or voicemail line is on the individual prison’s official page.

When you contact them, give:

• the person’s full name;
• their prisoner number, where you know it;
• their date of birth;
• the prison and wing, if known;
• a clear, factual description of what has worried you and when.

In England and Wales the prisoner normally uses the prison’s own complaints system first. Keep copies and note reference numbers.

If the complaint is not resolved, it may be possible to take it to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which investigates complaints about prisons and probation in England and Wales, and deaths in custody.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own procedures and their own oversight bodies. Do not follow the England and Wales route there.

Sixpence Support UK cannot advise on criminal charges, appeals, sentence calculations, parole or licence conditions, and cannot act for anyone in criminal proceedings.

Speak to a qualified criminal solicitor. Legal aid may be available depending on the case and the person’s finances.

For some sentences, an independent body decides whether a person can safely be released or moved to open conditions. It considers risk, not good behaviour alone.

Nobody can predict an outcome or a date. The prisoner’s solicitor and their prison offender manager are the right people to explain what applies to their sentence.

Start planning weeks or months ahead, not on the final morning. Useful things to sort out:

• identification documents and a National Insurance number;
• where the person will sleep on the first night;
• registering with a GP and continuing medication;
• a benefits claim and a bank account;
• employment, training or volunteering plans;
• family contact, including anything a court has restricted;
• the first probation appointment and the licence conditions.

Release dates can change because of sentence calculations, court decisions, recall, or the release arrangements that apply to a particular sentence.

We cannot calculate a release date, and neither can a website. Ask the prison or the person’s solicitor.

Many people are supervised on licence after release, or serve a community sentence. Conditions may cover where the person lives, curfews, who they may contact, exclusion zones, programmes and appointments.

Conditions must be followed. Missing appointments or breaking a condition can lead to recall to prison. If a condition is unclear, ask the probation practitioner or the solicitor — do not rely on a website’s interpretation.

Contact the prison resettlement team, the probation practitioner and the local council as early as possible. Councils have duties to help people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, and the rules differ across the UK nations.

Nobody can promise council accommodation. Getting advice early gives the best chance of avoiding a night on the street.

Most benefits are not paid while somebody is in prison, and a new or updated claim is usually needed after release. The exact position depends on the benefit, the sentence and the household’s circumstances, so check rather than assume.

Register with a GP as soon as possible, and ask prison healthcare before release for enough information about medication, appointments and ongoing treatment to pass on.

Mental-health support and substance-use treatment should be arranged before the day of release wherever possible, because gaps in treatment are a common cause of crisis.

Prisons offer education, skills training and employment support, and some employers actively recruit people with convictions.

Not every conviction has to be declared for every job. What must be disclosed depends on the conviction, the sentence, the job and the type of check. Get specialist information before answering a question about your record, and never give false information.

Disclosure rules are complicated. Whether a conviction is spent, and whether it appears on a basic, standard or enhanced check, depends on the offence, the sentence and the reason for the check.

We cannot work out whether a particular conviction is spent. Unlock provides free specialist information for people with criminal records in England and Wales, and the official DBS guidance explains what each type of check shows.

Coming home can be harder than people expect. Routines have changed, roles have shifted, children may be wary, and trust can take a long time to rebuild.

It can help to agree practical boundaries, keep children’s routines steady, accept that separate living arrangements may be right for a while, and use professional family support. Nobody is obliged to resume a relationship, and it is reasonable to take time.

Release can increase fear or real risk for a victim, including where the victim is a family member. Licence conditions, restraining orders and non-contact requirements exist to protect people and must be followed.

If a condition is broken, or you are frightened, report it to the police. In an emergency call 999.

Losing a household income suddenly affects rent, Council Tax, energy, food, travel to visits and child maintenance. Tell creditors and the council early rather than waiting for arrears to build.

Imprisonment and immigration status can interact in complicated ways, and the consequences can be serious.

Get advice from a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor as early as possible. Sixpence Support UK does not give immigration advice.

Women in prison are often held far from home, and many are primary carers. Pregnancy, maintaining contact with children, and planning resettlement need specialist attention.

Specialist services exist, but coverage varies and not every service operates everywhere, so check what is available in your area.

Custody for under-18s is separate from the adult prison system, with different establishments, safeguarding duties and family arrangements.

A child in custody needs specialist legal representation, safeguarding involvement and family support. Youth offending teams work with children in the community and after release.

The Scottish Prison Service publishes information for families and friends covering visits, keeping in touch, sending money and support for children.

The Scottish Prison Service has a route for families to raise a concern about someone in prison, and a separate complaints procedure.

Families Outside is the Scottish charity that works specifically with families affected by imprisonment, offering information and support for relatives and professionals.

The Department of Justice publishes information about prisons in Northern Ireland and about booking and attending prison visits.

NIACRO works with people affected by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, including families affected by imprisonment, children and young people, employment support and disclosure information.