Supporting and staying connected with loved ones after release is vital for ex-prisoners as they reintegrate into society. However, the high cost of prison calls can make maintaining these essential connections challenging. We have put together a guide and list of resources to help ex-prisoners and their families find affordable calling options, and the help and support they need. By making communication more accessible and affordable, we aim to support ex-prisoners in their journey toward building a stable, positive future.

Support For Families

Adfam
‍Adfam is a national organisation working with and for families affected by drugs and alcohol.

‍Pact
‍The Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact) is a charity which supports people affected by imprisonment, providing practical and emotional support to prisoners’ children and families, and to prisoners themselves. They have a free confidential helpline for prisoners’ families and friends (0808 808 2003).

‍Partners of prisoners and families support group (POPS)
‍POPS aims to provide a variety of services to support anyone who has a link with someone in prison, prisoners and other agencies.

‍Children Heard and Seen
‍Children Heard and Seen support children, young people and their families who are impacted by parental imprisonment. They offer 1:1 support, mentors for children, group activities and arts and music based therapy to children who are facing the shame and stigma that is attached to having a parent in prison. You can contact them at info@childrenheardandseen.co.uk or call 07557339258.

‍Sussex Prisoners' Families
‍Sussex Prisoners’ Families is a community interest company which offers information and emotional and practical advice on how to cope with the imprisonment of a loved one. They offer advocacy and information through their First stop helpline (01273499843). Their website has an extensive list of resources and organisations which will help families and specific information for those who live in West Sussex, Brighton and East Sussex.

‍Samaritans
‍Their helpline offers emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide. They can also put callers through without delay to their nearest staffed branch.
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‍Prisoners Abroad
‍Prisoners Aboard is a UK charity that cares for the welfare of all British Citizens held in foreign prisons.

‍Prisoner Location Service
‍Use the Prisoner Location Service to find people in prison when you don’t know which prison they are in.

Legal advice

Find a solicitor
‍Run by the Law Society, Find a Solicitor is a free service for anyone looking for information about organisations or people providing legal services in England and Wales.

‍Criminal Cases Review Commission
‍The Criminal Cases Review Commission is the independent public body set up to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

‍Howard League for Penal Reform
‍The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK. The Howard League’s legal team acts on behalf of young people under the age of 21 in custody and provides a dedicated legal service for young people in custody in England and Wales.

‍Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
‍JCWI is an independent national charity which exists to campaign for justice in immigration, nationality and refugee law and policy.

‍Prisoners’ Advice Service
‍PAS provides legal advice and information to prisoners in England and Wales regarding their rights, the application of the Prison Rules and conditions of imprisonment.

Mental Health Advice

Mind
‍Mind helps people to take control over their mental health. Mind provides information and advice, training programmes, Mind in your area, grants and more.

‍SANE
‍Helpline for providing information and advice on mental health. Gives callers the option for action and puts them in touch with available sources of help and support. Emotional and crisis support for people experiencing mental illness and for their families, carers and friends.

Resettlement Advice

Citizens Advice
‍The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

‍St Giles Trust
‍St Giles Trust have 60 different projects across the England and Wales helping people overcome the adversity they face, with support, advice and training.

‍Nacro
‍Resettling ex-offenders and prisoners to reduce the risk of their reoffending is at the heart of Nacro’s work to change lives and reduce crime. The Resettlement Plus Helpline offers information and advice to ex-offenders, serving prisoners, their families and friends and to organisations working with them.

‍New Bridge
‍New Bridge creates links between the offender and the community. New Bridge offers a wide range of programmes to help prisoners keep in touch with the outside world and prepare themselves to re-join it.

‍Recoop
‍Recoop promotes the care, resettlement and rehabilitation of older offenders and ex-offenders, in particular those over the age of 50, in particular but not exclusively through the provision of support services, advocacy, financial advice, mentoring on issues such as employment and training, and advice on housing and health, enabling them to take control of their lives and remain free from offending, and preventing them from becoming socially excluded.

‍Shelter
‍Advice and information for people with a housing problem or who are homeless. Issues dealt with include housing rights, harassment, illegal eviction, rent and mortgage arrears, housing benefit, domestic violence, hostel placements and finding accommodation.

‍Clinks
‍Clinks supports, represents and campaigns for the voluntary sector working with offenders.

‍Turn2us
‍Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help.

Drug & Alcohol Misuse

Alcoholics Anonymous
‍A confidential helpline where you will speak to someone who knows about problems with alcohol from personal experience.

‍FRANK
‍Helpline for anyone concerned about drug or solvent misuse. Advice and information for drug misusers, their families, friends, carers and professionals.

‍Release
‍Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law – providing free and confidential specialist advice to the public and professionals.

‍Rehab 4 Addiction
‍A helpline for those suffering with drug and alcohol addiction.

Support For Women

Hibiscus Initiatives
‍Hibiscus Initiatives, formerly FPWP Hibiscus, provides welfare, advice, advocacy, volunteering and befriending in prisons for women. They also provide assistance and support on voluntary returns and reintegration in home countries to people in immigration removal centres and with community resettlement and reintegration in the UK for ex-offenders and others at risk of offending.

‍Women in Prison
‍Women in Prison supports and campaigns for women offenders and ex-offenders. We assist women with advice on housing, education, mental health, legal rights, work, benefits, debt, domestic violence, and more.

‍Women's Aid
‍Helpline for women experiencing physical, emotional or sexual violence at home — provides advice, information and support.

‍Working Chance
‍Working Chance is a charity that supports women with criminal convictions through employment and training.

‍Wish
‍Wish is a charity working with women with mental health needs in prison, hospital and in the community. It provides independent advocacy, emotional support and practical guidance on all stages of women’s journey through the mental health and criminal justice systems.

Education

Prison Phoenix Trust
‍The Prison Phoenix Trust supports prisoners around the UK and the Republic of Ireland through teaching, workshops, correspondence, books and newsletters for yoga and mediation.

‍Prison Education Trust (PET)
‍PET is a charity that works over 125 prisons to help prisoners achieve their full potential through learning.

Faith Organisations

Angulima
‍Angulima is the Buddhist prison chaplaincy organisation. They work to make available facilities for teaching and practicing Buddhusim in prisons. They also provide an aftercare and advisory service for prisoners after release.

‍Muslim Youth Helpline
‍MYH is a registered charity that provides faith and culturally sensitive support services to Muslim youth in the UK. This is a free and confidential helpline service run by young Muslim volunteers.

‍Prison Fellowship
‍Prison Fellowship's mission is that every prisoner has access to support and prayer. They seek through prayer and practical care to help, support and develop a Christian ministry to prisoners and their families.

Advocacy Organisations

The Butler Trust: Knowledge Exchange
‍A place for managers and frontline staff in prisons, probation and youth justice services to find, and share, resources, guidance and examples of notable practice relevant to their roles.

‍Criminal Justice Alliance
‍The Criminal Justice Alliance is a coalition of organisations committed to improving the criminal justice system.

‍Howard League for Penal Reform
‍The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK. The Howard League’s legal team acts on behalf of young people under the age of 21 in custody and provides a dedicated legal service for young people in custody in England and Wales.

‍INQUEST
‍INQUEST is a charity that provides a free advice service to bereaved people on contentious deaths and their investigation with a particular focus on deaths in custody. Casework also informs our research, parliamentary, campaigning and policy work.

‍Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas
‍Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas provides information, support and advocacy to Irish people in prison overseas and their families. They can work up to casework level and produce publications.

‍Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
‍JCWI is an independent national charity which exists to campaign for justice in immigration, nationality and refugee law and policy.

‍Justice
‍Justice is an all-party law reform and human rights organisation working to improve the legal system and the quality of justice by promoting human rights, improving the legal system and access to justice, improving criminal justice, and raising standards of EU justice and home affairs.

‍Liberty
‍Liberty campaigns to protect basic rights and freedoms through the courts, in Parliament and in the wider community. They do this through a combination of public campaigning, test case litigation, parliamentary lobbying, policy analysis and the provision of free advice and information.

‍National Association of Prison Visitors (NAOPV)
‍The NAOPV promotes and helps to maintain the work of Official Prison Visitors.

Other Useful Resouces

‍Apex Charitable Trust
Works across north-west England and seeks to help people with criminal records obtain appropriate jobs or self-employment by providing them with the skills they need in the labour market and by working with employers to break down the barriers to their employment.
‍Breakthrough
A London-based organisation offering prison leavers fully paid apprenticeships for roles in tech or business, offering support and guidance throughout the process.

‍Nacro
Has a dedicated Resettlement Plus Helpline which offers information and advice to ex-offenders, serving prisoners, their families and friends and to organisations working with them.

‍Step Together
Step Together provides tailored one-to-one support to help individuals into volunteering placements that match their needs and interests. The programme helps them develop the personal and practical skills required to build a more positive future.

‍St Giles Trust
Runs a range of services designed to help ex-offenders, including employment support, community-based training, and housing/emergency accommodation.

‍Trailblazers
Are a national charity that reduces reoffending among young people through providing volunteer mentors. Young people are supported to change their attitude, thinking and behaviour through intensive mentoring, advice, advocacy and targeted specialist support.

‍Unlock
Is an independent charity for people with convictions who are dealing with the effects of having a criminal record. Through a confidential peer-run helpline, they give advice and support across areas such as how to disclose to employers, criminal record checks, getting insurance and travelling abroad.

‍Women in Prison
Are a women-centred, women-run organisation that provides specialist services to women affected by the criminal justice system both in prison and in the community throughout England.

‍Working Chance
Are a charity that helps women offenders make the transition into employment, helping them find paid work and offering voluntary placements.

‍YMCA
Works in partnership with prisons and probation services to support young offenders with citizenship and training opportunities pre-release.