OVERVIEW

POPS is a unique organisation with regard to the services we provide and to whom we provide them. Our services are designed to be flexible, in order for us to be able to develop them to meet the ever-changing needs of offenders’ families. Although we provide emotional and practical support to offenders’ families and Black offenders, we never remain generic.

‘Both the Social Exclusion report Reducing Re-offending By Ex-prisoners (2002) and the Joint Thematic Review by HM Inspectorates of Prison and Probation (2001) emphasise the importance of family ties for offenders in reducing re-offending and argued for more efforts to increase the level and quality of family contact for offenders.’ 

‘Prison sentences can have a detrimental effect on family relationships. In addition to separation, families can suffer loss of income and their home. If the prisoner is the named benefit receiver, their prison sentence will alter entitlement of the family - Income Support can fall dramatically or can stop altogether. Almost 60% of families in one survey stated imprisonment of a family member had left them ‘less well-off’. Families can also experience shame and anti-social behaviour by distressed children(1*) and often say they are assumed to be ‘guilty by association’ (2*). Many suffer stress related conditions and almost three-quarters of partners and mothers in one survey attributed their health problems directly to the imprisonment of a family member.’

(1*). Loucks N (2004) The Tayside Families Project:
a Tayside criminal Justice Partnership and Families outside

(2*). Codd H, prisoners Families the forgotten victims,
probation journal 1998.

POPS currently run the following services:

• Family Link Work
• Prisoners' Families Helpline
• Visitors Centres
• Black Prisoner Support Project
• We also periodically run a number of projects