A long stretch
The current pressure on prison places has largely been driven by the significant increase in people receiving long custodial sentences over the last two decades. This growth in the long-term prison population inspired the Prison Reform Trust to launch its Building Futures Programme, to explore the experiences of people who will spend 10 or more years in custody. Yesterday, PRT published its latest report from that programme. A Long Stretch, co-authored by Marie Hutton & Rachel O’Brien, explores some of the challenges of maintaining relationships for people serving long prison sentences.
The report
The report is based on consultation with 133 people serving long-term prison sentences in 38 different prisons. Participants ranged in age from 18 to those in their 70s; while most were well into their sentences, some were still adjusting to life inside. Many did not know when they would be released, and some people were likely to die in prison.
Findings
Participants provided insights about how prisons operate day-to-day, revealing gaps between policy and practice on the ground, inconsistencies and systemic pressures that undermine good practice. Having no, limited or disrupted relationships outside impacted their progress and motivation and can impact Parole Board decisions about their future, including release.
“For [most] of the last 20 years I’ve been located hundreds of miles from my family, often making it difficult to receive visits. My parents are in their 80s so being located this far from home, I have not seen them for many years. It is always on my mind that I may never see them again.”
However, participants emphasised the extent to which the presence of supportive relationships makes prison ‘survivable’ and how these are shaped by age and sentence length. Many described how close bonds help them feel ‘human’, ‘cared for’, giving them ‘hope’.
“The isolation, the loss of intimacy, breakdown of social bonds and general frustration have a severe impact on relationships, not only with loved ones, but friends and society as a whole. It puts untold strain on almost all human ties so that both sides suffer.”
People also spoke about alternate lives continuing outside, with families and friends moving on without them. Many shared their fears for the future as their relationships were stretched to breaking point, they became more detached, as visits dwindled, families changed, loved ones died and children grew up. Some anticipated leaving prison with no friends or family to return to.
Others faced the prospect of death in prison, with a lack of family contact in their final years. A consistent theme was the prevalence of people who did not have anyone on the outside, received no visits or external support. Many participants expressed empathy for those worse off than them, were supporting others and suggested ideas that could benefit current and future peers.
Recommendations
A key recommendation in A Long Stretch is for HM Prison and Probation Service to develop an ambitious ‘Partners in Progress’ strategy that does more to recognise and deploy the role of peers and other schemes — such a prison visits — and that enable prisoners to develop trusting relationships of support. Other recommendations include:
- Increased flexibility in recognising relationships. Prisons should adopt a more flexible approach in recognising supportive relationships, including friendships and non-biological family ties, especially for those who grew up in care.
- Enhancing the role of peer workers and volunteers. The role of peer workers, those with lived experience, and volunteers should be expanded and better supported to provide meaningful engagement and support for prisoners.
- Reducing the cost of contact. Specific measures should be introduced to reduce the cost of maintaining contact, including providing a free weekly call to one named person for those serving long sentences.
- Increasing the use of technology. The use of technology, such as video calls and email, should be expanded and standardised across the prison estate to facilitate better communication between prisoners and their loved ones.
Conclusion
A key theme throughout the event was the damage unwittingly inflicted on people in the pursuit of being seen to be tough.
Long prison sentences don’t just affect those who are imprisoned; they also take a heavy toll on their families and those loved ones left behind, creating significant psychological, financial, and emotional stress and hardship.
The authors argue that it is vital that support services are available, and resourced, to assist those to cope with the challenges they face.
By addressing these issues, we can begin to foster a more informed public discussion about the true costs of long sentences and advocate for a more compassionate approach to criminal justice.
Thanks to Andy Aitchison for kind permission to use the images in this post. You can see Andy’s work here
