The children of prisoners deserve better – our new scheme will help get them support
4 min read
Thousands of children will go to bed tonight without their mum or dad at home, because a parent is in prison.
Around 193,000 children each year in England and Wales have a parent in custody. Many of them are carrying a burden no child should have to bear – shame, anger, confusion, loss, or sometimes even relief.
When a parent is jailed, it’s not only their sentence being served – the consequences can be long-lasting for their children and families. Too often, these children can become overlooked victims of the impact of crime. They have done nothing wrong, yet can experience consequences arising from a parent's actions that may affect them for many years.
The reality is that having a parent in prison can turn children’s lives upside down overnight. They may have to move house, or go into care. Some children need to change schools, only to face bullying over headlines they had nothing to do with. In severe cases, children have been left at home alone struggling to cope when a parent goes to prison – because there is no process in place to recognise them.
Every family’s situation is different. But sometimes the parent left behind may struggle to cope, be vulnerable to debt, mental ill-health or exploitation.
Children shouldn’t be defined by their parent’s actions. Yet this trauma and instability can have a huge impact, making everyday life much harder when children need support the most. Too many are missing out on help that could make all the difference to their wellbeing, confidence and future.
For too long, children with a parent in prison have been invisible to the system. If we don’t know who they are, we can’t support them. And if we can’t support them, we can’t give them a fair chance in life.
Whether it is practical help for children in crisis, support in the community or simply being able to meet other children going through similar experiences to reduce stigma, we can make a real difference to these young people’s lives. This is not about excusing criminal behaviour or reducing accountability for offenders – it is about ensuring children do not suffer the consequences for actions they did not commit.
That is why, at the last election, our party promised to recognise the children with a parent in prison – so that we can offer them the right help early and give them the best chance possible to succeed despite the difficult circumstances.
Today, we are making good on that pledge. Working with local councils and the police, we are trialling a new scheme to make sure children and families get the support they need.
For the first time, police forces will share information with local authorities about parents who have gone into prison, while government will bring together existing data and share it with local authorities, so families can get help if they want it. That includes new community peer support groups for children and carers facing the same challenges.
The pilot police forces and local areas will be selected for maximum impact, so we can understand how to expand this work and help more children achieve and thrive.
Strong families build stronger communities and children are our future. When children are supported to stay in education, maintain positive relationships and look forward to a brighter future, the benefits are felt far beyond the home. By taking action here, we can reduce the risk of long-term disadvantages and ensure fewer young people fall through the cracks.
We made a promise to recognise children with a parent in prison and make sure they aren’t overlooked – because a child should never be defined by a parent’s actions, nor left to face these challenges alone.
This is about giving children the support they need when they need it most – so they can have the same opportunities, ambitions and chances to succeed as any other child. As part of our Plan for Change, that’s exactly what we will do.
Jake Richards is Labour MP for Rother Valley and minister for sentencing and youth justice, and Josh MacAlister is Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington and minister for children and families
