Promoting Family Ties in the Changing Criminal Justice System

1. Promoting Family Ties in the Changing Criminal Justice System Taunton, 7 December 2016

2. FARMER REVIEW - HOW CAN SUPPORTING MEN IN PRISON TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR FAMILIES REDUCE REOFFENDING? Anne Fox Chief Executive Officer – Clinks Deputy Chair of Review

3. About the review • Commissioned by MOJ and NOMS – in White Paper • England and Wales • Focus on majority of prison population – i.e. adult male prisons • Led by Lord Farmer – Conservative peer – interest in families • Clinks providing Secretariat • Will report in January 2017

4. Our focus • What support do men in prison and their families need to reduce reoffending rates? • What support can be provided to support a reduction in rates of intergenerational offending? • Therefore desistance based – recognising importance of family life • Inclusive and broad definition of family. • Interested also in supporting those without traditional family or strong family connections - Care leavers/care experienced; men without family contact due to offence nature • How can family support be a part of prison safety and reform?

5. Our process – task group • Task group at the core • POPS, Pact, Clinks, User Voice, NOMS, NPS, contracted prisons • Meets regularly • Visits prisons • Guides on process, evidence to gather • Meets with “witnesses” expert on topics – BAME families, safety, technology, care leavers, men who have committed sexual or domestic abuse offences, workforce

6. Our process – meeting families, men and staff • Visiting prisons across the estate • Meetings held with men in prison, families , families ornigsaitons, governors and staff • Meeting also with thought leaders – HMCIs, leaders of other reviews of relevance, academics

7. Our process – call for evidence • National ad campaign on National Prison Radio with a Freephone facility – based on a feature with an interview with Lord Farmer • Surveys for men designed with men in prison • Surveys for families designed with family support organisations • Written submissions from VCS, professionals and academics

8. Responses • 15 witnesses • 79 submissions • 465 family surveys covering 43 prisons • 431 surveys from men in 39 prisons • Over 100 recorded messages from men on National Prison Radio Freephone line

9. What we’re learning • There’s a lot of variation • Visits are most important type of family contact • Costs of contact are prohibitive for families- visits and phone calls • Technology is developing so potential for better use of it • Range of support services which men and families value but varies • Families can be an asset but prisons face challenges in finding time and ways to make most of this • There is real innovation and good interventions • There’s a real appetite to get things right

10. For further information • http://www.clinks.org/criminal-justice-supporting-families-prisoners/farmer-review-how-can-supporting-men-prison-engage • Results in Spring 2017

11. Questions • Our top three barriers to effective family ties are?... • Our top three benefits of supporting families are?... • As a service or group what recommendations might we find most useful from this review?