Safety, well-being and hope: The untapped potential of family contact in prisons
Safety, well-being and hope: The untapped potential of family contact in prisons by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, March 2026
What we found (Back to top)
Too many jails were failing to get the basics right, making it difficult for families to book visits, get to the establishment, and access financial support. When prisoners first arrived in jail it took too long for family members to find out where they were held and to be able to contact them – at a time when prisoners were often at their most vulnerable.
Prisons rarely involved families in supporting men and women at risk of self-harm or violence, and concerningly, families could not always get through to prisons by telephone to tell them about welfare and safety concerns.
In general, the prisons relied heavily on external providers and volunteers to lead family provision, and it was too often seen as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential element in a prisoner’s journey through custody and towards resettlement.
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