WHEN criminals serve their time in prison, their children often get a sentence too.

Isolated, stigmatised, they are the forgotten victims of their parent’s crimes.

But action is being taken to help those who have become collateral damage.

Each year more than 200,000 children are affected by parental imprisonment with more than 10,000 youngsters making the protracted, depressing visit to a prison every week.

Their needs, and those of the parents behind bars, have for a long time being neglected because of a historic gap between prisons, Government and communities.

Now Barnado’s CAPI - Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment - initiative is pushing to reverse this damaging trend for the hundreds of adults and children referred to its services each year.

Team manager Suzanne Page said: “There’s been a lack of funding and policy and direction for the families of offenders.

“Lots of money is put aside for offenders but there is no one department, agency or statutory organisation responsible for offenders’ families or looking at their needs. It is usually left to voluntary or charity organisations.

“Emotionally these children can struggle. People can see the needs of the victim, which rightly so they should, but behind each offender is a family who may not have known about the offender’s actions.”

In Essex alone, more than 216 families were referred to CAPI last year - record numbers since the service launched in 2013.

A quarter of the total referrals between 2014 and September of this year, have come from educational establishment while 14 per cent have been referred via social care and 11 per cent are self-referrals.

Six per cent of cases were directed from Chelmsford Prison where they are introducing telephones into each cell as of next year to help offenders stay in touch with their loved ones.

So far this year, 100 children and young people have had contact with CAPI with six to 11-year-olds being the largest group.

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Picture: free-images.com

Suzanne said: “Schools aren’t automatically notified about a pupil’s parent being imprisoned unless it is a high-risk offence such as domestic violence.

“The first time staff might find out is via Facebook, general gossip or another parent. We have teachers say this is something that needs to be addressed because the earlier they’re notified is the sooner they can provide intervention.”

Prison visits, particularly if offenders are based far from home, can lead to missed teaching hours.

Not feeling able to be truthful about their situations can lead to displaced aggression, anxiety, depression and behavioural issues among young people.

A parent going to prison will drastically alter the family dynamic. Sometimes for the better as it gives time for reflection and independence, but it is not always the case.

The remaining parent can find themselves being stigmatised because of the offender’s actions, lose their home or job.

Only five per cent of children will remain at home when a mother is jailed, meanwhile the latest figures from the Prison Reform Trust indicate the female prison population has increased by a third.

The recently published Lord Farmer review, commissioned as part of the Government’s plans to overhaul UK prisons, argues society places a lesser value on the family unit.

It states this can make us “less sensitive to the negative effects on prisoners’ children, other family members and prisoners themselves when prolonged separation is experienced and when relationships come under intense strain”.

Lord Farmer adds: “Partners, parents, and children of prisoners need the support of society, not just because of the key role they can play in offender rehabilitation, but also because of the hidden sentence they are serving, typically without having committed any crime themselves.’ Working with families will also negate the impact of intergenerational crime.

Jane Gardner, deputy police and crime commissioner, said: “Children with a parent in prison have a much higher risk of falling into a life of crime, suffering mental health problems and not reaching their potential.

“The children of offenders need the support and guidance of organisations such as CAPI to break out of this cycle, create a positive life for themselves and help contribute to the safe and secure communities we all want.

“In Essex we are taking a proactive approach to tackling these issues and making a difference to those children and families.”

For more information on Barnado's CAPI, click here.