The publication of HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ latest thematic review, Safety, well-being and hope: the untapped potential of family contact in prisons , has been eagerly awaited across the voluntary sector.

For Clinks and members of the Families Support Network, the findings will feel both familiar and frustrating. The report powerfully reinforces what lived experience and frontline organisations have long known: family relationships are central to safety, wellbeing, and rehabilitation.

But it also highlights how far the system still has to go.

A powerful case – but a persistent gap

HMIP describes family relationships as influencing “virtually every aspect of prison life”. Prisoners themselves spoke about family as their main source of hope, identity, and motivation to change.

The evidence is clear:

• Regular family contact is linked to reduced self-harm and violence
• It contributes to safer prison environments
• It supports desistance and reduces reoffending

And yet, despite years of policy attention including Lord Farmer’s vision of family ties as the “golden thread” this review shows that progress has been slow and inconsistent.

Missed opportunities across the system

The report identifies a series of persistent barriers that continue to limit the potential of family contact. Many of these reflect what Clinks members see every day:

• An inadequate central visits booking system
• A weak understanding among prison staff of the role families play in safety and rehabilitation
• Delays in approving phone numbers, especially in early custody
• Limited and ineffective use of ROTL to maintain family ties
• Family work seen as the responsibility of contracted providers, not the whole prison
• Families rarely involved in supporting those at risk of self-harm or violence
• Insufficient focus on early days in custody, when contact is most critical
• Overly restrictive or disproportionate security practices
• A self-assessment process that fails to drive improvement

At the same time, prisoners consistently described family as the most important thing in their lives—a vital anchor in an otherwise destabilising environment.

This disconnect between evidence and practice is stark.

Fabric or embroidery?

Too often, family support is treated as an “added extra” something beneficial, but not essential.

But as this review makes clear, that framing is wrong.

Family support is not the embroidery on the fabric of prison regimes it is part of the fabric itself.

If prisons are to be safe, rehabilitative, and humane, family relationships must be recognised as a core component of the system, not a peripheral service.

This has important implications. It means:

• Family work cannot sit solely with voluntary sector providers
• It must be embedded in leadership, culture, and operational practice
• It requires sustainable investment, not short-term or precarious funding

Families as partners in safety and rehabilitation

One of the most concerning findings is how rarely families are involved in safety processes.

Despite clear evidence that family contact can:

• Reduce self-harm
• Improve behaviour
• Support emotional stability

Families are often excluded from ACCT processes and behaviour management planning.

This represents a missed opportunity not just for rehabilitation, but for preventing harm and saving lives.

Clinks members consistently highlight that families:

• Hold vital knowledge about the person in prison
• Can provide reassurance and de-escalation during crisis
• Are often the first to raise concerns about safety

A system that fails to involve them is a system that is not making full use of its most important resources.

Structural barriers that cannot be ignored

The review also highlights the structural inequalities that shape family contact:

• People held far from home, particularly women
• The cost of travel and phone calls, placing pressure on already struggling families
• Visiting times that conflict with work, school, and caring responsibilities
• Limited support for those without strong family networks, including care-experienced people

These are not just logistical challenges, they are policy issues that require national attention.

Supporting families in their own right

Importantly, families should not be viewed solely through the lens of supporting the person in prison.

They are individuals often parents, partners, and children who:

• Experience stigma and isolation
• Face financial and emotional strain
• Require support in their own right
• This includes:
• Community-based services that recognise the impact of imprisonment on families
• Clear, accessible communication from prisons

A whole-family approach is essential if we are serious about reducing harm and improving outcomes.

From evidence to action

This review provides a strong evidence base. The challenge now is delivery.

To move forward, we need:

1. System-wide leadership
2. Family contact must be embedded as a core priority across HMPPS, not delegated or marginalised.
3. Investment in what works
4. Voluntary sector organisations are central to delivering effective family support—but require sustainable funding and recognition.
5. Getting the basics right

Fixing:

• Visit booking systems
• Early access to phones
• Clear communication with families
• Safe and responsive contact systems would make an immediate difference.

1. A shift in culture

Prisons must move from seeing family contact as a risk to manage, to a protective factor to enable.

2. Policy alignment

This agenda must connect with wider government priorities, including:

• Reducing reoffending
• Improving mental health and wellbeing
• Addressing inequalities across the justice system

A moment that must not be missed

Clinks welcomes the spotlight this report shines on the untapped potential of family contact.

But reports alone do not create change.

If this moment is to lead to meaningful improvement, it will require:

• Political will
• Operational leadership
• And a recognition that family relationships are not optional they are essential

The question now is not whether family contact matters.

It is whether we are willing to treat it as part of the fabric of the system or continue to leave it as embroidery.