Member

I meet many people in prison who have no visits from family or friends, so they do not benefit from the strong rehabilitative effect of positive relationships, particularly with people on the outside. A quarter of all prisoners are care leavers. Emerging evidence, such as that from Lifelong Links, strongly suggests that family and other significant relationships are major protective factors against risky behaviours that could land many with an experience of local authority care in prison. For many, if no one is there, they make the fairly rational decision that they have nothing to lose. Having someone means they have something to lose. If family group decision-making is to go into statute, we need to build on it with a commitment to making approaches such as Lifelong Links available.