‘Without it you’re lost’: examining the role and challenges of family engagement services in prisons

Abstract

This chapter draws from related literature, policy, and recent reviews of Family Engagement Services (FES) in prison to explore the role and challenges of implementing FES in the public prison sector. It situates current services in a neoliberal context and examines barriers and potential for delivering high-quality and caring FES in the women's prison estate. It also defines FES in prisons as a specialised casework service that aims to build and maintain contact between prisoners and their family members. The chapter highlights the emotional and practical support given by FES to prisoners and their families, intending to improve wellbeing, minimise the trauma of family separation, and increase life chances for prisoners' children. It analyzes the role of FES from the view of the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), which was founded in 1898 and was integral to the development and implementation of FES in prisons.