§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conclusions they draw from the Channel 4 film "Doing Time" concerning the effects in Britain of imprisonment on prisoners' families and children. [HL2913]
§ Lord RookerThe film highlighted the extent to which imprisonment places strains on family relationships. That is why the Prison Service provides special facilities for family visiting. These include financial support for travel costs to enable low-income families to visit prisoners, play areas in some visiting halls and family days in prisons. Many prisons provide visitors' centres outside the prison which, in particular, cater for the needs of families. The Social Exclusion 119WA Unit has recently conducted research on reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners. During its work, the unit has looked at the role of families in the rehabilitation of prisoners. It is in the process of finalising the report and this will provide the direction for future policies and strategies to help alleviate the effects on the family. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.