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Pact - Prison Advice & Care Trust

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Pact - Prison Advice & Care Trust

Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust) is a charity that helps UK prisoners and their families. Call the Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.

30/05/2026

1 in 15 children will experience a parent going to prison during their school years.

For many, the experience is devastating — turning life upside down and bringing confusion, fear and stigma. In the classroom it can affect concentration, behaviour and attendance.

Yet many schools have no idea it's even happening.

Pact’s Schools Toolkit helps teachers to:

✔ Gain confidence to talk about imprisonment
✔ Create space for whole-class conversations
✔ Reassure children it’s not a shameful subject
✔ Help pupils understand and empathise

No child should face this alone.

🏫 Download the Schools Toolkit or share it with someone you know: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/professionals/schools/

26/05/2026

Over the past few months, our team at HMP Swinfen Hall has invited everyone attending a Family Day – from prison staff and Pact volunteers to prisoners and their families – to contribute a sparkly handprint.

Together, these handprints have created the magnificent Swinfen Hall Family Swan. Isn’t she beautiful?

Pact team member Nikki says, “We began with just the drawn head and neck – which drew some questions whilst on the display board without any feathers! But over time, piece by piece, she has grown. She’s a powerful reflection of what can be achieved when we all come together to create something meaningful.”

No one should face the imprisonment of a loved one alone. Our swan is one small way we at Pact say: you don’t have to 🤝

20/05/2026

When Anna’s dad went to prison, she stopped going to school. No one knew what was going on — not her family, her school, or her social worker — and the prison didn't know any of this was going on.

But when professionals came together through Pact, everything changed.

💬 Anna’s story shows why working together matters.

No one organisation can support families affected by imprisonment alone — it takes collaboration, understanding and shared responsibility.

Read our latest blog from Pact Service Manager Tina Kikta 👇
https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/latest/news/why-joined-up-working-matters-for-children-with-a-parent-in-prison/

19/05/2026

We were so proud to hear Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce highlight our FLiP reading programme during his final Laureate Lecture at the Royal Institution — where he called for reading to be treated as a fundamental right for every child.

He said:
"[FLiP] gets prisoners, who often have REALLY negative experiences of reading, to read to their own children... Watching it in action I was seeing broken bonds being repaired in real time."

FLiP (Fathers Learning in Prison) helps dads in prison read with their children — and rebuild relationships at the same time.

📖 Building strong parent-child attachment
📖 Growing in confidence as a parent
📖 Inspiring men to engage with their own education and become positive role models

We know how important these moments are — for both children and parents.

Find out more about FLiP: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/get-help/prison/education/family-literacy-in-prisons/

15/05/2026

Allison became, in her own words, “prisonzilla.”

Not because she wanted to. Because it’s what it took to be heard.

Multiple letters a week. Pushing, chasing, fighting—just to get someone to listen about her son’s mental health.

Family members like Allison shouldn’t have to battle the system. They should be involved, welcomed, valued. Listening to families can save lives.

👉 Watch Allison's story and join her call for change: https://prisonadvice.org.uk/ListenToFamilies/

12/05/2026

Families can play a critical role in preventing harm in prisons.

They spot early warning signs.
They understand history that isn’t in the file.
They can help ensure the right care is in place.

Yet too often, they are left out—especially in the ACCT process, the system’s primary tool for managing risk of su***de and self-harm.

That is a gap in safeguarding. And it is one we can fix.

👉 Read our CEO Andy Keen-Downs' blog and join the call for change: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/latest/news/listen-to-families-the-missing-piece-in-prison-mental-health-care/

11/05/2026

Allison did everything she could to help her son when he was sent to prison. He had serious mental health needs—access to the right medication and support was essential.

She wasn’t listened to—until it was almost too late.

Families hold vital information that can save lives. Too often, they’re left out.

It’s time we listened.

👉 This Mental Health Awareness Week, help make sure families’ voices are heard. https://pact1.link/ListenToFamilies

06/05/2026

Over the past couple of months, Pact teams have been celebrating Spring at family days at prisons across the country. 🌱

💐 At HMP Gartree, Mother’s Day was marked with donated plants that prisoners could give to their mums and the mothers of their children with handwritten messages.

🐣 At HMP Lowdham Grange and HMP Send, Easter crafts and chocolatey treats helped families relax and enjoy being together.

🌙🐰 And at HMP Whatton, a fun‑packed day blended Eid celebrations with Easter bunny activities for children of all ages.

These days are about more than crafts and chocolate. They give families space to connect, have fun and feel like a family.

As families told us:
“This visit made a massive difference.”
“So much better than just sitting at a table.”
“Bonds are hard to maintain – but these days really help.”

Moments like these last long after the decorations come down. 💛

29/04/2026

💬 “These sessions make me feel better.”

Much of Pact’s work supports people in prison to build and maintain relationships with loved ones in the community. But for some people, that isn’t an option.

That’s where Making Positive Connections comes in. Running in prisons across the country, these sessions support people who do not receive visits and may be at risk of isolation — offering the chance to connect with others in similar situations.

The sessions are intentionally low‑key: time to sit together, talk, and be in a relaxed, supportive space. Feedback from participants at HMP Nottingham shows just how meaningful those moments of connection can be.

Service manager Rayma reflects:
“Creating a safe, supportive space allows people to open up and connect with one another. Seeing that reflected in the feedback has been incredibly moving.”

👐 Relationships make all the difference — helping to create safer prisons and better long‑term outcomes.

24/04/2026

We are thinking about the family and friends of the young person who has died at Feltham A. Losing a child in these circumstances is heartbreaking, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.

We know that hearing news like this can be distressing, especially if you have a loved one in prison. You may be feeling scared or worried about their safety.

If you need support or reassurance, you can contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline for confidential advice and support. We are open seven days a week on 0808 808 2003: https://pact1.link/helpline

If you are seriously worried about someone’s immediate safety, you can also raise an alert through the Safer Custody portal on the Prisoners' Families Helpline website so the prison is informed as quickly as possible.

You don’t have to face a loved one's imprisonment alone — we're there for you.

Address

29 Peckham Road
London
SE58UA

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+442077359535

Website

http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/

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