Features

Positive Relationships: Fathers in Prison - Behind bars

Prison is proving an ideal place for fathers to get more involved in family life, says Annette Rawstrone.

The statistics are staggering. Each year around 150,000 children in Britain are affected by having a parent in prison. Sixty-five per cent of the sons of prisoners end up behind bars themselves.

The fear of their children following in their footsteps led to prisoners and arts education charity Safe Ground developing parenting programmes, called Family Man and Fathers Inside, for offenders. The courses are currently delivered in 24 prisons in England and Wales with the aim of motivating prisoners to participate in education and family life through drama and group work. 'They're parenting programmes not about changing nappies but changing attitudes,' says Safe Ground programmes director Eli Robertson.

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