§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government: What weight is given to maintaining family links, especially those between parents and children, when prisoners are allocated to prisons. [HL5183]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalIn Northern Ireland Maghaberry is the only committal prison for adult prisoners. Those who meet the selection criteria will transfer to Magilligan Prison. At all establishments in Northern Ireland developing and maintaining family links is considered an important element of the work being done to help reduce reoffending. Establishments offer a variety of temporary release schemes, family visits and a number of family days to help to maintain family links. Prisoners can also retain regular contact with their relatives by phone and letter.
The Prison Service of England and Wales places great importance on prisoners maintaining close ties with family and friends and does everything reasonably possible, within the current population pressures, to ensure that prisoners are allocated to a prison near to their homes. However, high population levels throughout the Prison Service estate can lead to prisoners being transferred from their home area to establishments with a greater number of vacancies. Otherwise, local prisons and remand centres would be unable to provide accommodation to meet the needs of the courts.
For some prisoners, such as life sentence prisoners and vulnerable prisoners, it is more important to hold them in establishments that can cater for their specific needs, though such establishments may often be a longer distance from home.
Governors are required to consider regime and family contact issues before moving prisoners. Where this is not possible, family contact is facilitated through financial assistance for travel costs, for those who qualify, under the Assisted Prisons Visits Scheme, extended family visits and the temporary transfer of prisoners closer to home to have a series of accumulated visits.