1. Promoting Family Ties in the Changing Criminal Justice System
Taunton, 7 December 2016

2. Anne Fox Chief Executive Officer – Clinks Deputy Chair of Review
FARMER REVIEW - HOW CAN SUPPORTING MEN IN PRISON TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR FAMILIES REDUCE REOFFENDING?
Anne Fox
Chief Executive Officer – Clinks
Deputy Chair of Review

3. About the review Commissioned by MOJ and NOMS – in White Paper
England and Wales
Focus on majority of prison population – i.e. adult male prisons
Led by Lord Farmer – Conservative peer – interest in families
Clinks providing Secretariat
Will report in January 2017

4. Our focus
What support do men in prison and their families need to reduce reoffending rates?
What support can be provided to support a reduction in rates of intergenerational offending?
Therefore desistance based – recognising importance of family life
Inclusive and broad definition of family.
Interested also in supporting those without traditional family or strong family connections - Care leavers/care experienced; men without family contact due to offence nature
How can family support be a part of prison safety and reform?

5. Our process – task group
Task group at the core
POPS, Pact, Clinks, User Voice, NOMS, NPS, contracted prisons
Meets regularly
Visits prisons
Guides on process, evidence to gather
Meets with “witnesses” expert on topics – BAME families, safety, technology, care leavers, men who have committed sexual or domestic abuse offences, workforce

6. Our process – meeting families, men and staff
Visiting prisons across the estate
Meetings held with men in prison, families , families ornigsaitons, governors and staff
Meeting also with thought leaders – HMCIs, leaders of other reviews of relevance, academics

7. Our process – call for evidence
National ad campaign on National Prison Radio with a Freephone facility – based on a feature with an interview with Lord Farmer
Surveys for men designed with men in prison
Surveys for families designed with family support organisations
Written submissions from VCS, professionals and academics

8. Responses 15 witnesses 79 submissions
465 family surveys covering 43 prisons
431 surveys from men in 39 prisons
Over 100 recorded messages from men on National Prison Radio Freephone line

9. What we’re learning There’s a lot of variation
Visits are most important type of family contact
Costs of contact are prohibitive for families- visits and phone calls
Technology is developing so potential for better use of it
Range of support services which men and families value but varies
Families can be an asset but prisons face challenges in finding time and ways to make most of this
There is real innovation and good interventions
There’s a real appetite to get things right

10. For further information
Results in Spring 2017

11. Questions Our top three barriers to effective family ties are?...
Our top three benefits of supporting families are?...
As a service or group what recommendations might we find most useful from this review?