Relate focuses on plight of jailed parents
"I thought prison would mean the end of my marriage" is often the belief when offenders are confronted with a jail sentence. However, since 2002 Relate has been working with three UK prisons including Ashwell, Acklington and Winchester building a programme to ensure prisoners are able to maintain and build links with their families which new research has identified as being crucial in preventing children of prisoners becoming the next generation of criminals.
The Government's own 2001 Social Exclusion report identified strong family ties as a major deterrent to re-offending.
Relate's workshop and new video designed to equip couples with the skills to cope with long term separation and develop new ones around understanding and trust was highlighted at the Prison Reform Trust's Parliamentary launch attended by the Prime Minister's wife Cherie Booth QC in December 2004. Cherie Booth said 'Young prisoners should be given better access to their families" and added "Imprisonment too often worsens rather than tackles problems."
During the Relate prison workshops prisoners are encouraged to discuss lifestyle choices and explore how those choices can lead to re-offending behaviour with one prisoner explaining at a recent event that "for the first time ever he'd realised how important his role was at home, even during his absence."
The Prison Reform Trust estimate that around 150,000 children have a parent who is in jail with many held in jail long distances from home. Government figures (2004) show young fathers in custody who maintain contact with their family are six times less likely to re-offend after release.
