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xFamilies Outside letter to the Cabinet Secretaries for Justice & Home Affairs, Social Justice and Transport
Date: 24th June 2024
Category:
General measures of implementation, Special protection measures, Family Environment and Alternative Care
Families Outside has sent a joint letter, supported by over 15 organisations including Together to the Cabinet Secretaries for Justice & Home Affairs, Social Justice, and Transport calling for urgent cross-portfolio recognition and response to the challenges facing families when travelling to visit loved ones in Scottish prisons.
The joint letter addresses issues and key findings from the organisation’s recently published travel report ‘No Easy Journey’ which paints a stark picture of the costs and impacts of imprisonment to families and calls attention to the issues families face when trying to maintain contact with a loved one in prison.
The letter acknowledges Scottish Government’s recent response to the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which stated: “We are engaging with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Families Outside about issues raised in the Families Outside Paying the Price report (2022), which highlighted challenges families face when travelling to visit loved ones in prison. Equitable and sustainable models of support are being explored which take account of existing schemes.”
The letter also welcomes commitments from the Scottish Government to work collaboratively with partners, including Families Outside, to address the challenges facing families.