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EDITIONS
 Tuesday, 14 January, 2003, 12:06 GMT
Partners of Prisoners Support Group
This web page is part of a BBC News Online effort to explore new ways of covering grassroots civic activity in the UK. We asked our users to tell us of their activities and chose a handful of these campaigns to follow over the next few months. If you want to know more about this experiment, please

The Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPs) aims to provide information and support for those with a relative or friend in prison. This is what they say about their organisation:

"POPS is the main service provider to prisoners' families in the north west of England.

"POPS would like to see the families of offenders more involved in the working of the prison systems.

POPS would like to see the families of offenders more involved in the working of the prison systems

"Studies on prison release success rates show the prisoners' family as a critical factor in their behaviour whilst in custody and upon release. However, there is little reference to prisoners' families and the role they can play in the return of prisoners to the community.

Our main role is to allow families an opportunity to talk about how they feel in a safe, non-judgmental environment, where their feelings can be acknowledged and responded to. Once this has been established, both practical and emotional support can be given and received.

"Often, prison staff are not trained in what the family issues are or how they can be harnessed to assist them in developing constructive relationship with offenders.

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"Young offender teams should extend themselves to build constructive partnerships with agencies like ours, so we can begin to reach the parts never reached before, and holistically begin to respond to young people and their families.

Partnerships with Prisons

"Some prisons, such as HMP Buckley Hall and HMP Hindley, have recognised the value of family ties and the benefits of having partnerships with POPS, thus ensuring that the prison system operates to maximise contact with families and this ensures they are not further frustrated as is sometimes the case.

"POPS can trace its historic roots back to the late eighties as a response to prisoners' families needs. From its initial establishments, POPS has developed considerably and is now recognised as a strong and independent regional agency, providing valuable information, advice training and representation for prisoners' families."

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