Imprisonment means impoverishment for innocent families (21/05/07)
Prisoners' families are 'hidden and innocent victims' who experience significant impoverishment, according to new research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London, published today by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The research report based on interviews with family members and an evaluation of services for prisoners' families concludes that current criminal justice and social welfare policy 'combine to impoverish and disadvantage, and exclude the relatives of those in prison'. Children, in particular, are suffering hardship as a result of the imprisonment of a family member.
The report, Poverty and disadvantage among prisoners' families, found that:
- Family members suffer from high rates of depression and physical illness; no less than 25 (out of 28 tested) were found to be depressed.
- The imprisonment of a relative has a negative financial impact on families, regardless of their pre-imprisonment situation, resulting in them being vulnerable to financial instability, poverty, debt and potential housing disruption and, for families of foreign national prisoners, permanent separation after deportation.
- Imprisonment carries significant costs to families and agencies, in particular social services, resulting in the government's estimated cost of imprisonment rising by almost a third. This cost was calculated by examining figures from a small case study group.
- Families have to subsidise the imprisonment of a relative by sending prisoners money, clothing and electronic goods.
- Prisoners' partners and mothers prioritise the care needs of children above household income and barriers to employment are greater for those caring for prisoners' children.
- Despite the National Offender Management Service's focus on family ties and resettlement, maintaining family relationships during imprisonment is financially draining and very difficult to sustain.
- The capacity and expertise of both statutory and voluntary sector services to address long-term and widespread poverty and disadvantage among prisoners' families are limited.
The report calls for immediate action to protect 'the hidden innocent victims of imprisonment' and suggests a review of the consequences of imprisonment for families and of the fundamental principles on which social welfare policy is based. It says a review should address the issues of family rights and equality; the importance of care in social policy; public accounts and expenditure reform; and community based services.
Dr Roger Grimshaw, Director of Research at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies said:
“As imprisonment rises, so the burdens on families will multiply. Prospects for mental health, child development, and prisoner resettlement are all placed at risk by impoverishment of the most vulnerable. Unless there is a real change of policy direction, we have to be worried that the collateral damage of imprisonment will scar families for years to come.”
For further information:
Enver Solomon, Deputy Director the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: 0207 848 1679; 07939 221 381
Notes to editors:
- The report 'Poverty and disadvantage in prisoners' families' is by Rose Smith, Roger Grimshaw, Renee Romeo and Martin Knapp. The full report and summary of findings can be downloaded free of charge from www.jrf.org.uk or the CCJS website www.kcl.ac.uk/ccjs.
- The research is based on interviews with 41 family members living at or below the poverty line and an evaluation of 5 services for prisoners' families identified through a national consultation. It was carried out by staff at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London and was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
- The Government estimated in its Green Paper Every Child Matters that 4 per cent of children experience the imprisonment of a father during their school years and that every year some 150,000 children experience a parent being put in custody.
- The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is an independent charity based at King's College London. It was established in 1931 and aims to inform and educate about all aspects of crime and the criminal justice system from an objective standpoint. It encourages and facilitates healthy debate and understanding of the complex nature of issues concerning crime.
- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. It supports a research and development programme that seeks to understand the causes of social difficulties and explore ways of overcoming them.
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