HMP - NICCO€¦ · Web view“families” at times are also extended to the prisoners support...

HMP Long LartinPublic Sector Prisons – LTSHE

Family Strategy

April 2018

Governor Clare Pearson

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Date:

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HMP Long Lartin - Families Strategy

INTRODUCTIONThe Secretary of State commissioned the Lord Farmer Review (The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners’ Family Ties to Prevent Reoffending and Reducing Intergeneration Crime). (August 2017)Maintaining supportive family relationships is paramount in achieving a reduction in re-offending. HMP Long Lartin is committed to the fostering of good family relationships and the maintenance of existing relationships, in order to aid the resettlement of prisoners. The prison aims to provide a framework that enables positive outcomes and interactions for children and families with a close family member in our custody. The impact of any custodial sentence is not only felt on the family member but also on the family and friends of the prisoner.As well as serving as a punishment for an offender, a prison sentence can have punitive consequences for families outside prison. Prisoners’ families, particularly their children, are often termed the ‘innocent victims’ of crime (and punishment).At HMP Long Lartin due to the dynamics of the population, “families” at times are also extended to the prisoners support network as part of their resettlement plans.For a long time, prisoners’ families were also referred to as the ‘hidden’ or ‘invisible’ victims of punishment or crime, since the hardships they experienced were not immediately obvious.

What is the impact of imprisonment on prisoners’ families?

Since every family is different (including who is considered to be part of a ‘family’), the impact of imprisonment is different for every family. Yet, research suggests that there are some fairly common experiences.

Over 10 million children in the world have a parent in prison and Action for Prisoners Families estimates that in the United Kingdom approximately 200,000 children have a parent sent to prison each year. (200,000 Silent Children Project “The impact of having a parent in prison”)The children of prisoners are 3 times more likely to take part in anti-social and delinquent behavior. Imprisonment can result in reduced family income, home and school moves, disrupted relationships, stigma and decreased social support. Each year in the United Kingdom more children are affected by parental imprisonment than by divorce. It is estimated that 65% of boys who have a father in prison will go onto offend themselves. This research shows that offending can be catastrophic to families and children; who are also being punished along with their parent (Action for Prisoners Families). Research shows that a prisoner receiving visits from children and family are 39% lower than for prisoners who do not receive visits.( May. C, et al (2008) )

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Specifically:

Families experience emotional distress even with the loss of a loved one from the family home and/or family life: for example, families miss out on sharing family events such as birthdays and religious festivals, or even simple family activities such as meals, with the imprisoned family member.

Prisoners are stigmatised for their offence, and their families often are too. Families are seen as guilty by association even though they are legally innocent and generally have had no involvement in the offence. This stigma is sometimes referred to as stigma by association. This stigma makes the imprisonment even more difficult for family members, and it can also mean that families are treated negatively by other members of their community, or face negative treatment from colleagues, peers, the media and even friends and family.

Following the imprisonment of a person, partners of prisoners are often forced to take on multiple roles and responsibilities, particularly where the incarcerated family member has previously had an active role in the household.

Imprisonment tends to impose financial strain on the families of the prisoners in two ways: by decreasing the family income and by increasing family expenditure, due to costly visits and phone calls, and sending in money for their loved ones in prison. Prison thus can exacerbate existing socio-economic disadvantage

There are often particular difficulties associated with prison visiting. Visiting often involves great deal of time, effort (both physical and emotional) and expense. Visiting can be an emotional experience, with both positive and negative feelings in the mix: for example, families usually enjoy seeing their imprisoned loved one, but due to the brevity of the visit saying ‘goodbye’ comes quickly, which can be distressing.

Visiting can be particularly difficult for children, with facilities that are not ‘child friendly’ and confusing rules restricting how they can interact with their imprisoned family member; visiting times may not be compatible with tea time and bed time routines, leaving children irritable or tired, which then may impact on school performance the following day.

Stigma for the children of prisoners can be manifested in being bullied by classmates in school.

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Longer-term, children of prisoners are three times are more likely to engage in anti-social or offending behaviour than their peers who do not have a parent in prison.

Why focus on Children and Families?Supportive families are a great resource for prisoners and they often play a vital role in helping an individual move away from crime. A supportive family can also provide effective protective factors for prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm. Having a stable family to return to on release or transfer to another establishment of lower category, can also encourage prisoners to engage in sentence planning interventions and maintain positive behavior whilst in custodyResearch on desistance from crime, also suggests that positive family ties can have an encouraging effect on the rehabilitation of offenders.Research shows that a prisoner receiving visits from children and family are 39% lower than for prisoners who do not receive visits.( May. C, et al (2008) )In a small number of cases maintaining family ties may not be appropriate, possibly due to the risk of harm that a prisoner poses to the family. Safeguarding children and supporting victims should always be a priority in the work at HMP Long Lartin supported by the National Probation Service

At HMP Long Lartin the Children and Families Pathway, aims to ensure the interests of prisoners and their families are addressed through:

Helping to maintain family ties, where appropriate. Improving parenting skills of prisoners. Provide and advice and guidance to families and prisoners. Developing a family friendly focus in prisons and through our

visitor centre. Involving the family in Resettlement decisions when appropriate. Threading the Children and Families pathway through all of the

Resettlement pathways.

Governance and Management of the pathway

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The Children and Families Pathway lead will be the Head of Operations and will be assisted by the Head of Chaplaincy. In order to ensure that the “family” remains the focus of our work towards the rehabilitation of our prisoners at HMP Long Lartin, the commitments listed below will be monitored through the following processes:

Reducing Re-offending Meetings Establishment HMIP Expectations Document SPDR/Bi-lat Reviews

Measuring our success in developing the Children’s and Families pathway

Prisoner Family Needs questionnaire (Annual) Prisoner Consultative Committee Reducing Re-Offending Meetings HMIP Prisoner MQPL Rehab Culture Meetings

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HMP Long Lartin Resettlement Pathways and their commitment to prisoner’s children and families in 2018.

1. Attitudes, Thinking and Behavior The progressive regime tests prisoner’s attitudes, thinking and behaviours. The Pre- PIPE (Psychologically Informed Planned Environment) also encourages prisoners to take up courses and programmes so to maintain links with families.

Commitment for 2018

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Families are invited to join ACCT reviews where appropriate Where risks are relevant these are part of sentence planning

process

2. Children and families HMP Long Lartin run ‘family time’ visits. A minimum of eight family visits will be held jointly coordinated by the Operations and Chaplaincy.The Chaplaincy team arranges on request, marriages for prisoners serving sentences at HMP Long Lartin. Regular contact with the bride is necessary, to ensure the wedding plans are all in place.Following a death in custody, the Chaplaincy team are often called upon to attend and offer support to the decease’s Next of Kin. The Chaplaincy team will often take on the role of family liaison, keeping in regular contact with the family and offering continued support.

Commitment for 2018 To continue to manage family time visits, developing the events

to suit the needs of the families in attendance To continue to develop and provide families with an overview of

the pastoral/faith provisions a HMP Long Lartin. To continue to work with the Visits Managers, Children and

Families Coordinator and Play Team to enhance the visits experience for children and families.

3. Mental and physical health

The healthcare provision at HMP Long Lartin is provided by Careuk. Prisoners can expect to receive comparable levels of primary and secondary support and treatment as they would receive in the community.The Inclusion Team work with prisoners with mental health problems, supporting them towards improved mental health where possible. They also work with, and support prisoners who are at risk of suicide and self-harm; attending ACCT reviews and helping to develop support plans for those prisoners at risk.

Commitment for 2018

With consent and taking into account confidentiality issues, we will discuss with a family member diagnosis and treatment plan for a prisoner with a serious medical condition.

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We will consider, in the case of serious ongoing medical treatment whether a family member can attend the external hospital following risk assessment.

We will continue to inform next of kin in the event of a serious medical emergency and will consider appointing a family liaison officer.

We will review all patients currently working with the mental health team with a view to involving family members in cases where it would be beneficial to treatment and recovery.

In the event a prisoner is likely to be admitted to a secure hospital under the mental health act, consideration will be given to informing the Next of Kin

4. Education, Training and Employment

This pathway is managed by a number of different agencies and partners working together to offer opportunities for offenders to achieve qualifications and gain real employment skills. The Library services are provided by the Worcestershire County Council and provide books on parenting and other family related subjects.

Commitment for 2018

Milton Keynes College to run a Story from dad course. Which allows a cohort of prisoners to take up this valuable opportunity by promoting an understanding of the positive effect felt by a child after receiving a story created especially for them from their absent family member.

Continue to increase opportunities to gain qualifications

Other significant teams within HMP Long Lartin and their commitment to prisoner’s Children & Families in 2018.

1. National Probation Service/Offender Management Unit/CRCHMP Long Lartin recognises that Public Protection is one of the core functions of HMPPS and the MOJ. Public Protection is at the forefront of all that we do and is the responsibility of all staff regardless of grade or position.The OMU/NPS cultivate a collaborative, prison-wide approach to public protection. The IDRMT [Inter Departmental Risk Management Team] looks at individual’s risks monthly, this approach is built on clear communication between all departments of the establishment as well as partner agencies.

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This approach enables prisoners risk to be identified. Often this risk will be to children or named adults (who may be from the prisoner’s family). Those who pose the most significant risk will be managed through the MAPPA process.

Safeguarding of children is a priority and depending on the level of risk level a prisoner poses to children, will determine the level of contact they can have with children whilst at HMP Long Lartin. The management of these restrictions can involve mail and telephone PIN monitoring and monitoring of contact with children during visits.

The levels of contact a prisoner at risk to children can have is detailed below:

Levels of Restrictions for Child Contact

Level One

Full restrictions apply. No contact with any child

permitted All correspondence and

telephone calls may be monitored subject to a risk

assessment being carried out and regularly reviewed.

Level Two Contact permitted with named child only via written

correspondence. All correspondence and telephone calls

may be monitored subject to a risk assessment being

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carried out and regularly reviewed.

Level Three

Contact permitted with named child only via written

correspondence and telephone calls. Correspondence

and telephone calls may be monitored subject to a risk

assessment being carried out and regularly reviewed.

Level Four

No restrictions necessary, contact permitted with

named child only via correspondence, telephone calls

and visits. The prisoner may be allowed access to family

visits with the permission of the Governing

Governor following a further, individual risk

assessment. Routine monitoring of correspondence,

telephone calls, general observations in the visits area.

This level of contact applies only to those children that

the prisoner has permission to have contact with. All

other children will be subject to Level One

restrictions.

Commitment for 2018

To invite input from families, where appropriate, in the sentence planning process. Subject to prisoners permission via telephone conferencing.

The team will continue to arrange on request, family support for prisoners during parole hearings.

2. Safer Custody

For a variety of reasons, there are periods in a prisoner’s sentence when they can become a heightened risk of suicide

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and self-harm. Involvement and engagement with the prisoner’s family can be useful in helping to support the prisoner through their crisis period.

The Safer Custody team will, with the prisoners consent, invite contribution/attendance from families at ACCT reviews

The Safer Custody team also manage and monitor the Safeguard hotline. This provides families/friends with the ability to speak to a member of the Safer Custody team or leave a message, about any prisoner they have safeguarding concerns about. Following receipt of this phone call, the safer custody team will provide all necessary support to the prisoner.

Commitment for 2018

To include family involvement in the ACCT process, when necessary and with the prisoners permission.

To attend the Reducing Re-Offending Meeting to discuss the Safer Custody role and the support they provide to the prisoners.

To continue to maintain the At Risk Hotline.

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3. Security and OperationsThe Operations group manage the visits function, including the visits hall and the processes for both prisoners and families using the visits hall. The team manage supervision and the safety of the area with a view to ensuring the safety and security of all those using the visits hall, including families, children, prisoners and staff.The team also manage the visitors centre with the visitors centre and family support coordinator to ensure it runs smoothly and families have a welcoming environment to relax in prior to the commencement of the visits.The Security department manage the pin phone monitoring system ensuring public protection monitoring takes place in line with the guidelines, protecting the public from unwanted contact from prisoners.

Commitment for 2018 To enhance the drink and snack facilities both in and out of

the establishment. To continue to provide advice and assistance to families

regarding Assisted Prison Visits. Information is displayed in the visitors centre and in the gate

area advising families of the consequences of trafficking. Crime stoppers posters are also displayed with contact details, for any family member who is being pressured into bringing drugs or other illegal items into the prison. Prison staff are available in the visitors centre for family members to talk to if they are under such pressure.

To continue to provide a process whereby prisoners can apply for photos

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4. Reducing Re-offendingIt is the role of the Reducing Re-offending team to co-ordinate and link with all the pathways and those partners involved in Resettlement. Partners and pathway leads should consider the impact on families and children of any changes/developments they plan to implement.The Reducing Re-offending team will endeavor to raise the profile of the Children and Family pathway, co-ordinating the development and

improvement of this pathway through the Reducing Re-Offending meetings and its related action plan.

Commitment for 2018

To ensure each pathway lead, in the Reducing Re-Offending meetings discuss their progress against the agreed development objectives in this document.

To complete a Prisoner Needs Analysis questionnaire with a section included on Children and Family’s needs in 2018.

To continue to develop family days. To offer family photographs within HMPPS criteria on

family days

Family Day Visits

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Introduction

The Operations Manager will have responsibility for ensuring the protocol operates effectively, including monitoring and reporting.This protocol sets out instructions and guidance for the organisation, staffing and monitoring of children centred and family visits that take place at HMP Long Lartin. Guidance for this protocol is taken from PSI 16/2011 providing visits and services to visitors, PSI 15/2011 Management of security at visits and PSI 38/2010 Activities in prison.

The objectives of the protocol are:

Prisoners can engage in both children centred and family visits Identify the roles and responsibilities of the establishment and the

Children’s Team when running children centred and family visits

Notification of the Arrangements

Notices telling prisoners about the arrangements for Family Day Visits will be placed in living accommodation, visits area, activity areas area and the prison libraries. Prisoners will also be told about the arrangements during the induction process.

A notice telling visitors about the days arrangements will be attached to invites sent out for children centred/ family visits at HMP Long Lartin.

Aims

The overarching aim of the children centred/family visits is to feed into achieving the aims of the families’ pathways of the Reducing Reoffending Policy.

Enable families to have more accessible and better quality contact with prisoners in custody

Provide interventions and support for prisoners and their families to enable them to maintain strong and supportive relationships.

Provide support and training for prisoners in custody who are parents/carers/grandparents.

Visit will have clear objectives to be achieved centred on working towards one or more of the aims highlighted above.

Eligibility of Prisoners

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All prisoners within the establishment will be given the opportunity to apply for children centred/ family visits on a least one occasion during a 12 month period irrespective of their IEP level.

The criteria for each visit will be dependent upon the focus of the visits.

Family Visits – All prisoners within the establishment will be eligible to apply for these visits

Criteria of visiting parties

The criteria of those visitors able to engage in these activities will again bedependent upon the focus of the visit

Family time visits will be restricted to immediate family including, Family Time Visits are for children, step-children and grandchildren only; Adult visitors should be their Parents, Grandparents or Principle Carer’.

If HMP Long Lartin Security department are uncertain as to the relationships of a visitor that has been applied for, clarification will be sort from the Offender Manager for the prisoner in question.

Process of approval of application

Application must be completed by the prisoner at least 3 weeks prior to the date the visit is due to take place.

Once completed application will be processed by the Operations Dept. to ensure all applications meet the criteria, these will then be processed by HMP Long Lartin Security department for any security intelligence led concerns.

Risk Assessments

A risk assessment of the visits area will be completed by HMP Long LartinHealth and Safety department annually outlining any significant risks.

Family Visits will be restricted to a maximum of 15 prisoners

Safeguarding

All members of staff continue to have a duty of care to prisoners and visitors

alike and as such should ensure to be aware of and adhere to the HMPLong Lartin Public Protection policies.

Timings

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Family Visits will take place between the hours of 14:00 and 16.30. Prisoners will remain in the vicinity of the visits area throughout this period and return to their units in the afternoon. Visitors will also be required to remain in the visits area for the duration of the visits. Should visitors leave the establishment at any point during this time they will not be permitted re- entry.

Visitors will be given the opportunity to book into the visits 30mins prior to the start of the visits up until the point of 3pm after which they will not be permitted entry to establishment.

Food Provision

A buffet will be provided from the Main Kitchen at no cost to the families.

Photographs

Photos can be provided as long as the prisoners has previously made an application and the compacts have been signed

Evaluation

Upon conclusion of the event evaluations forms will be sent to all that have engaged in the activity.

Complaints

Should any visitor wish to make a complaint regarding the event they can do so via the complaints boxes situated both in the visits hall and visitors centre as per the HMP Long Lartin complaints procedure.

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Annex A

Available support/information for Children and families and professionals working with them

Action for Prisoners’ Families www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk – Action for Prisoners’ Families, works for the benefit of prisoners' and offenders' families by representing the views of families and those who work with them.

AFFECT – AFFECT provides services for the families of serious offenders and offers support groups to families in the south of England. www.affect.org.uk

Inside Time – www.insidetime.org.uk – this website gives visiting and other advice

Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust) – www.prisonadvice.org.uk providesUseful information on visiting and how visitors’ centres can help families.

Prisoners’ Family Voices is a web-based community which gives family members the opportunity to talk to each other. http://prisonersfamiliesvoices.blogspot.com

Offenders’ Families Helpline 0808 808 2003 info@prisonersfamilieshelpline.org.ukwww.prisonersfamilieshelpline.org.uk

Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service 0808 808 3444 [email protected]

I HOP ( Barndo’s ) https://www.i-hop.org.uk i-HOP is a one-stop information and advice service to support all professionals (working with children and families of prisoners) and all families of prisoners, bringing together useful information in one place.

https://www.i-hop.org.uk/

http://www.pffs.org.uk/

http://www.affect.org.uk/

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