Support group for prisoners promotes service on cell walls

CELLS in police stations in the Lothians are being branded with the helpline number of a charity which supports the families of inmates in a bid to reduce re-offending.

The freephone number of the Families Outside charity has been stencilled on the walls of cells in an effort to encourage those in custody to seek help.

Charity bosses hope that the initiative will raise awareness of its work in supporting the families of people involved in the criminal justice system.

The campaign was launched after research showed that 48 per cent of families in the UK break up due to someone being sent to jail.

Police chiefs today said they hoped the scheme would help break cycles of re-offending by ensuring that inmates had a better chance of keeping their support network until release.

Dr Nancy Loucks, chief executive of Families Outside, said: "There is support available but the problem is that many people only find out about it when they've been sentenced and been through the legal system. By that time they've already had difficult and stressful situations. By having the number in the cells, they can find out about us sooner.

"When they are in a custody cell, they have little to do except stare at the walls. They may not memorise the number but they will be left aware that the service exists. They can then ask for other information at the station."

She added: "Imprisonment can have a huge impact on a family, not just the person doing the sentence. It can put their housing at risk, create financial pressures, lead to mental and physical health problems, and bullying or poor performance of children at school.

"If someone is released from prison and they've got social support, help in looking for education, and family support that can also have a dramatic effect on the likelihood of re-offending."

Inspector Jim Royan, of Lothian and Borders Police's safer communities department, said: "Families provide significant support to people who find themselves in police custody and it is essential that they in turn be provided with accurate and helpful information. This has the potential of breaking the offending cycle and contributing to a reduction in crime."

Families Outside can be contacted on 0500 83 93 83, and www.familiesoutside.org.uk

Last week, it was revealed that more than one in four inmates who self-harmed in a Scottish jail last year was in the privately-run Addiewell Prison. A total of 66 prisoners were recorded as having self-harmed, making the West Lothian jail the worst in the country for people deliberately injuring themselves.

The figures also showed that self-harm cases reached a six-year high at Saughton Prison in Edinburgh last year, with 13.