Making prison visits more child-friendly

Context

Many kids have skilled the trauma of getting witnessed their father or mother’s arrest at dwelling, in addition to trauma related to being separated from their father or mother. This trauma might be exacerbated by harsh, tense or fear-inducing jail environments. Visiting a father or mother typically means kids endure invasive safety measures; jail employees are sometimes untrained on child-friendly procedures; youngsters could also be handled like adults and/or potential offenders.

Visiting laws Hardly ever contemplate the wants of youngsters. Usually they is probably not allowed to play with and even contact their father or mother and visiting hours might intrude with their education. On high of this, attending to the jail within the first place could also be an extended and costly journey. 

The survey

48 kids aged between 8 and 15 years outdated accomplished a web based survey on their experiences of visiting a father or mother in jail and got the prospect to provide their views on how jail visits must be organised.

Considerations

The youngsters highlighted quite a few considerations together with:

Unfriendly behaviour from jail employees, heavy safety checks and the dearth of sufficient sources for kids to get pleasure from time with their imprisoned father or mother. Kids emphasise that the ambiance in visiting rooms is commonly intimidating and traumatic which may make the go to emotionally taxing slightly than a constructive expertise.Many kids mentioned they felt they have been handled as in the event that they’d carried out one thing dangerous throughout safety checks with Britain’s employees typically displaying what they skilled as hostile and strict behaviour in direction of them. These experiences have been described as intimidating and distressing, making them apprehensive about future jail visits.Kids mentioned they’d have favored to have seen their mother and father carrying their very own garments on visits as this made for a extra regular and comforting visiting expertise.A majority of youngsters mentioned that they would like to be allowed to go away the visiting space earlier than their father or mother did. They discovered that leaving first might generally assist ease the emotional problem of claiming goodbye, making the transition smoother and fewer distressing slightly than having to see their father or mother escorted again to their cell.Kids mentioned they’d additionally like to have the ability to be part of their mother and father for outdoor visits throughout sports activities are different out of doors actions. Strolling exterior collectively or participating in crafting and sports activities actions with their mother and father might make visits appear extra regular and assist to strengthen the child-parent bond by creating constructive recollections in a troublesome surroundings.Kids have been eager to have the ability to keep in contact with their mother and father in jail by video or telephone calls to take care of their relationship in between face-to-face visits. Extra common communication might assist with the emotional pressure of separation, making kids really feel that they have been nonetheless supported and beloved by their mother and father despite the fact that they might not be with them as typically.

Along with a set of suggestions addressing these key factors, there have been additionally particular sensible points reminiscent of:

Not utilizing drug canine throughout safety checks as kids have been typically afraid of the canine and the anxiousness and concern produced might undermine the entire go to.Practice jail employees on being extra child-friendly and to cease indulging in such frequent behaviour as threatening kids with jail themselves if they didn’t behave on a go to.Jail employees to elucidate in age-appropriate language the foundations and necessities of visits.

Due to Andy Aitchison for form permission to make use of the header picture on this submit. You possibly can see Andy’s work right here