Prison Reform Trust

THE STATE OF OUR PRISONS IS A FAIR MEASURE OF THE STATE OF OUR SOCIETY. THE PRISON REFORM TRUST WORKS TO ENSURE THEY ARE JUST, HUMANE AND EFFECTIVE.

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system.

We do this by inquiring into the workings of the system; informing prisoners, staff and the wider public; and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform.

The website has many valuable information resources and links including:

About Prison
On this page you will find chapters from the Prisoners’ Information Book for Male Prisoners and Young Offenders which will tell you what you need to know about prison life.

Topics include:
- Who works in prison?
- When you first arrive
- Unconvicted prisoners
- Civil prisoners
- Immigration detainees
- Appealing against your conviction or sentence
- Working out how long you will be in prison
- Things to sort out – outside prison
- People who can help you in prison
- Keeping in touch with family and friends
- Contact with your solicitor and other official people
- Prison life
- Your health
- Your faith
- Prison rules
- How to make a complaint or a request
- Offender management, sentence planning and getting ready for release
- Release on Temporary Licence
- Release and supervision
- Foreign national prisoners
- Young offenders and young offender institutions
A-Z Factsheets
If you need more information, the site offers many factsheets that PRT works with including:
- Adjudications
- Anger Management Courses
- Appeals
- APVU
- Benefit Entitlements
- Categorisation
- Complaints
- Human Rights
- Insurance
- Leaving Prison
- Legal Aid
- Licence Conditions
- Mandatory Drugs Testing
- Parole
and much more
Frequently Asked Questions
The site has a useful FAQ section for friends and families. Questions include:
- This is the first time that my friend/family member has been in prison – where can I get some general information on prison life?
- How can I obtain more information about visiting my family member/friend?
- I am having trouble getting through on the phone to book a visit. Who can I contact?
- I can’t afford the travel to the prison – can anyone help?
- My friend/family member is due out soon, where can I find information about housing/employment?
Information books
The site includes a number of useful PDF booklets including:
- Human Rights booklet for prisoners
- Release on Temporary Licence
- Information Sheet for Immigration Detainees in Prison (May 2013)
- Sentence Planning
- IPP Information Booklet
- Information booklet for people on licence for a sex offence
- The Prisoners’ Information Book for Male Prisoners and Young Offenders
- Information Book for Prisoners with a Disability
- PRISON RULES: A Working Guide
- Notice of Rights and Entitlements
- Licence Rules 2013
Useful Links
There is a great section of useful links for anyone who maybe involved in the prison system
Visiting a Prisoner
The site has a useful section about visiting a prisoner:
- Before you go
- Financial assistance
- At the prison
- During the visit
- Complaints about visits

The Prison Reform Trust’s main objectives:

reducing unnecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime
improving treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families
promoting equality and human rights in the justice system

Volunteering

If you want to get involved by volunteering or effecting change, Pact (Prison Advice and care Trust) and the Prison Reform Trust have produced a guide called What can I Do? It details the ways you can help out with youth justice projects, restorative justice, prison visits and independent monitoring boards to name a few.

Download a PDF of What Can I Do?