Group calls for more support for families of prisoners

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has criticised the criminal justice system for failing to safeguard the rights of the families of prisoners.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has criticised the criminal justice system for failing to safeguard the rights of the families of prisoners.

It says that facilities for families visiting prison are not child friendly and that the stigma attached to a child whose parent is in prison can lead to resentment, and in some cases damage their mental wellbeing.

The Picking Up The Pieces report calls for a new Government agency to be set up to provide information and support to families affected by imprisonment.

It is estimated that there are 80,000 visits to prisons by children every year.

The group called for temporary release to be frequently used to help maintain family relationships and for re-integrating offenders back into the family unit.

They also called for a change in the way jail visits take place with a family-friendly approach adopted including, at a minimum, a roundtable meeting with inmates allowed to play with their children and non-uniformed children’s officers deployed in each prison to minimise any anxieties children may have.

The IPRT said screened visits in Cloverhill Prison and St Patrick’s Institution should end.

Executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Liam Herrick, said a cohesive national plan is needed.

"Some of the visiting facilities are clearly problematic, where there's no contact between family members, they're too noisy for children to hear their fathers speaking, and so on," he said.

"But I think what we need really here is an overarching strategy that just acknowledges that when somebody goes to prison, there are secondary victims that are suffering because of what's happened, who need support."