External Links
Criminal Justice Matters
Community Legal Service Legal Information
www.clsdirect.org.uk
Criminal Justice Online (prison tour)
www.cjsonline.org./virtual/prisons.html
Criminal Justice Online (information for defendants and their families)
www.cjsonline.org./citizen/defendants.html
Criminal Cases Review Commission The work of the Commission and how to appeal against a conviction
www.ccrc.gov.uk
Howard League for Penal Reform
www.howardleague.org
NACRO
Website of the Crime Reduction charity
www.nacro.org.uk
They also produce a resettlement services finder which had 1000's of organisations details.
www.rsfinder.info
The Parole Board
Information about the role of the Parole Board
www.paroleboard.gov.uk
Prison Reform Trust
www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk
HM Prison Service
This site give details about individual prisons and prison life.
www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk
Prisoners' Advice Service
Information about the use of prison rules. Legal advice to prisoners. Downloadable information sheets and information covering up to date issues affecting prisoners and their families.
www.prisonersadvice.org.uk
Prisoners' Rights - Liberty Guide
www.yourrights.org.uk/your-rights/chapters/the-rights-of-prisoners/index.shtml
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Information about the role of the Prisons and Probation Obudsman and how a prisoner can make a complaint.
www.ppo.gov.uk
UNLOCK
The national organisation for reformed offenders. They can give information to ex-offenders and can provide insurance cover to the families of prisoners and prisoners on release.
www.unlock.org.uk
Women in Prison
www.womeninprison.org.uk
We are family
Children's Legal Centre
Providing legal advice, information and representation for children and young people. They have an information line for Child Law Advice, a Family Law Advice line and a freephone (0800 783 2187) for young people.
www.childrenslegalcentre.com
Home Start The charity that links volunteers to families with young children that may need an extra pair of hands.
www.homestart.org.uk
Family Rights Group advice line: 0800 731 1696 (10am - 3.30pm Mon - Fri)
Family Rights Group offers a confidential, independent telephone and email advice service that supports parents and other family members whose children are involved with, or need, social care services. The service is a source of specialist information about families' legal rights and what they can expect of the social care system.
Family Rights Group provide advice to mothers, fathers and other family members whose children are in need, subject to child protection enquiries or in care. We advise relatives including grandparents who are raising or want to care for children who cannot live at home.
Family Rights Group also provide self and indirect advocacy services to parents and other family members. Referral to the indirect and self advocacy services comes through our telephone advice line.
· Indirect advocacy - involves professional advocates negotiating with local authority social care services on behalf of families, via the phone, email or letter.
· Self advocacy involves professional advocates providing support to families by drafting letters and setting out tailored legal advice that the family can use to make their case to local authority social care services
Gingerbread Website
Information and support for One Parent Families. Can help with benefits and have access to a wide range of resources.
www.gingerbread.org.uk
Parentline Plus
Help and Information for Parents. A helpline and email service. Also information on parentine courses.
www.parentlineplus.org.uk/templates/home/index.cfm
Prison Chat UK
On-line chat forum for all prisoners families and friends. Chat on line to those who are experiencing the imprisonment of a loved one.
www.prisonchatuk.com
SSAFA Forces Help
If your current or ex-partner is serving a prison sentence, if they have recently been or are due for release, SSAFA Forces Help may be able to help you. If you or they have served one paid day in the armed forces you are eligible for our assistance.
Through our network of trained voluntary caseworkers, we can provide support and guidance for you in a variety of different ways, including:
Though we do not give legal advice we can signpost you to the relevant organisation should you need this type of assistance.
www.ssafa.org.uk
Young Minds
This Charity can give you information and support if you are worried about a child's mental health.
www.youngminds.org.uk
Finance
Assisted Prison Visits Prisoners' close relatives, a partner or a friend (where no one else is visiting) may be entitled to help with travel expenses.
Application forms and booklets are downloadable from the following link and available in a range of languages:
www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/adviceandsupport/keepingintouch/assistscheme/ If you require Braille or an audio cassette please contact:
APVU, Freepost BM2257, PO Box 2152, Birmingham B15 1BR
Telephone: 0845 300 1423 (10.15 - 11.45 and 14.15 - 15.45 Mon - Fri)
Email:
The UK Insolvency Helpline
0800 074 6918 - 24 hours, 7 days per week including public holidays
Email:
Website: www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk
The UK Insolvency Helpline is the largest of the national telephone helpline for people with debt problems in the UK.
Young People Now
Bullying online
Advice and information on bullying.
www.bullying.co.uk
Childline
Website of the Helpline which gives information and advice to children and young people. Lots of information and downloadable sheets and reports.
www.childline.org.uk
Children's Legal Centre
Offer information and legal advice to Young People free on 0800 7832187.
www.childrenslegalcentre.com
Get Connected
Will provide the best service to young people UK wide, and can connect to other services seemlessly and for free.
www.getconnected.org.uk
NCH for young people whose parents maybe splitting up.
www.itsnotyourfault.org
NSPCC
Runs the Full Stop campaign against child abuse and runs the need to talk website.
www.nspcc.org.uk
Talk to Frank
The website with helpline for young people who want to talk about or find out about drugs.
www.talktofrank.com
Who Cares Tust?
Information and Support to those who are in or who have left care.
www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk
Worried? Need to Talk?
The NSPCC run website for young people worried about abuse or abuse of a friend.
www.worriedneedtotalk.org.uk
Young Minds
The Mental Health site for Young People.
www.youngminds.org.uk/youngpeople/index.php
Health
Adfam
Unhappily, problem drug and alcohol use can sometimes lead to contact with the criminal justice system. Families are often the first victims of crime - for example, things start to go missing at home - but they try to keep this fact a secret. Eventually, if drug and alcohol use becomes a problem, the police, the courts, the probation service, the youth justice system and prison can all become a part of family life.
Adfam works to help families deal with these systems and works through prison visitors centres.
www.adfam.org.uk
Al-Anon
The sister organisation to AA. There are over 900 Al-Anon and Alateen groups in the UK and Eire where those who are affected by someone else's drinking meet together to gain understanding and support in order to solve theri common problems.
Alateen, a part of Al-Anon is for young people aged 12-20 who are or who have been affected by someone else's drinking - usually that of a parent. Two screened Al-Anon members provide stability and guidance at Alateen meetings.
People who contact Al-Anon will be given details of meetings in your area.
Al-Anon Family Groups, 61 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YF
Helpline: 020 7403 0888
Website: www.al-anonuk.org.uk
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
and its co-morbities, which can include.. Dyslexia, Autism Aspberger's Dyspraxia.. etc ADHD can cause the affected to have Challenging Behaviours and an Underachievement at School We are a parent led support group for persons affected by the Neurological condition known as ADHD.
We open from 10.30am - 1.30 Monday - Friday..Term time You can contact by phone, email, fax or drop in. We are a Registered Charity Organisation
www.mk-adhd.org.uk
EATING DISORDERS
EDA (eating disorders association). The national charity supporting people affected by eating disorders
www.edauk.com
Over 200 pages of information, including message boards, press releases, professional directory and where to find help near you.
Hepatitis C Trust
The Hepatitis C Trust run a comprehensive and reliable website with up to date information about all aspects of the database. They also have a national helpline run by trained staff and volunteers all of whom have, or have had and cleared the virus and who can provide support and information for anyone affected by the disease.
www.hepcuk.info
Prison Phoenix Trust
The Prison Phoenix Trust The Prison Phoenix Trust encourages prisoners in the development of their spiritual welfare, through the practices of meditation and yoga, working with silence and the breath.
They offer personal support to prisoners around the UK and Eire through teaching, workshops, correspondence, books and newsletters - and to prison staff too.
They work with people of any faith, or of none, and honour all religions.
www.prisonphoenixtrust.org.uk
Saneline
Saneline deals with issues around mental health. They have a helpline which is 0845 767 8000 and is open from 6pm - 11pm. They also have an email service SANEmail. Their website is:
www.sane.org.uk
Self Harm The Self Harm Network supports survivors and people who self-harm. They also support the people it indirectly affects, like family and friends, they can discuss the issue and gain effective support in our forums. The have a forum dedicated soley to the friends and family of those who are self-harming.
www.nshn.co.uk
COUNSELLING
Counselling website that is ultimately to provide the UK with a huge counselling support network, enabling those in distress to find a counsellor close to them and appropriate to their needs.
www.counselling-directory.org.uk
Not in England or Wales?
Prisoners' Families Helpline can only support families of prisoners in England and Wales. If your friend or relative is in prison elsewhere, there are other organisations that can help.
Families Outside
Families Outside is a Scottish charity which helps hundreds of families a year through the Scottish Prisoner's Families Helpline. Through research, training and partnership work they aim to raise awareness of hte needs of families affected by imprisonment so that they can get the information and support they need to cope.
Freephone 0500 839393 Monday - Friday 1pm - 5pm
www.familiesoutside.org.uk
Prisoners' Families Infoline This Helpline is a confidential service for anyone who is affected by the imprisonment of a family member, partner or friend in republic of Ireland.
1890 25 25 78 Monday - Friday 11.00am - 2.00pm
www.pfi.ie
NIACRO - Northern Ireland Care and Resettlement of Offenders
NIACRO, in partnership with the Probation Service, provides a specialist advice service geared to the particular needs of people in contact with the criminal justice system.
The service is available in the prisons, in the Young Offenders Centre, and in the community, for families of prisoners and ex-offenders. They provide information, advice and advocacy on issues like benefits, debt and housing.
This service is the only one offering support across Northern Ireland to prisoners' families and released prisoners, whatever their offence or political affiliation; and it is the only one operating on a regular basis in the prisons in Northern Ireland.
www.niacro.co.uk
028 9032 0157
Family and Corrections Network (FCN)
This organisation is for and about the families of prisoners in the United States. They offer informaiton, trianing and technical assistance on children of prisoners, parenting programs, keeping in touch, returning to the community, the impact onthe justice system on families, and prison marriage. With over 150,000 visitors a year, this site is a gateway to practice, policy and research on families of prisoners.
www.fcnetwork.org
Eurochips
Each year, an estimated 700,000 children within the newly expanded European Union are separated from an incarcerated parent; sometimes both parents are in prison Yet few people are fully aware of the impact that the imprisonment of a mother or father can have on the early development of a child.
The European Committee for Children of Imprisoned Parents (EUROCHIPS), is a European-wide initiative on behalf of children with an imprisoned parent. With its network of partners active within prison-related, child's rights and child-welfare fields in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries, EUROCHIPS is seeking to boost awareness and achieve new ways of thinking, acting and interacting on issues concerning prisoners' children. EUROCHIPS' message is clear: the child and his or her best interests are at the heart of its action. Children are entitled to the truth about their parent's incarceration. Above all, children must be able to maintain a link with both parents if separated from one or both, a right stipulated in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 2000 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
www.eurochips.org
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