'Don't Punish Kids For Parents' Crimes'

Children of prisoners should be classed as vulnerable people to ensure they don't become victims of their parents' crimes.

That's the call from the NSPCC and Barnado's, who claim up to 4, 500 youngsters have a mum or dad behind bars.

The charities say a lack of data collection means vulnerable children are missing out on the "vital care which is crucial to their healthy development."
 
They are calling on the Scottish Government to ensure babies and infants with a parent in prison are identified as a specific vulnerable group and for the introduction of Child Impact Assessments when a parent is given a custodial sentence.
 
Separation caused by parental imprisonment disrupts family relationships, including the attachment relationship which is crucial to the healthy development of a baby. This is an unintended consequence of the justice system but one which must be addressed. The recommendations put forward by NSPCC Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland will ensure that babies and children of parents in prison do not remain the innocent victims of crime.
 
Key recommendations:

• Prioritisation: the Scottish Government should ensure infants affected by the criminal justice system are identified as a specific vulnerable group so that their needs are prioritised in local perinatal healthcare, early years, criminal justice services and children’s services planning.
• Data collection and assessment of needs: Child Impact Assessments should be undertaken after sentencing to ensure the wellbeing needs of any dependent infants and children are met.
• Co-ordination of services:  Protocols should be developed between mainstream universal early years, parenting, family support services and the criminal justice system so that infants and their carers are identified and offered support at all points in their parent’s journey through the system
• Policy integration: The needs of infants affected by the criminal justice system should be clearly addressed within children’s services planning and the planning of offender management services, to ensure formal and routine links between offender management services and children’s services
• Provision of support: Support delivered to parents in prison should be evidence based, delivered by trained specialist staff and available to all. Support should both address the parent’s needs and support parenting, with a particular focus on promoting sensitive caregiving for infants.

Matt Forde, National Head of Service for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Formally identifying these babies as a specific vulnerable group will help focus attention on their needs, and deliver the closer working between infant and maternal health, children’s services and criminal justice agencies required to provide them and their carers with the best possible support.
 
“We know what is needed for a baby to have a healthy start in life: good maternal physical and mental health during pregnancy; sensitive, consistent and responsive care from care givers; care and support for parents, and a safe and stimulating environment.  All of these can be affected in different ways when a parent is in the criminal justice system. This report looks at some of the practical steps services can take to help.”
 
Leonee Moorhead, Children’s Services Manager, Young Family Support for Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “The report highlights the lack of official data on the number of infants affected by the criminal justice system and how little UK research there has been into the impact of the system on infant care arrangements, parent-infant relationships, and perinatal healthcare for pregnant women as well as new mothers and fathers in prison.
 
“Due to our established youth work and family support services within the prison estate we have a positive working relationship with the Scottish Prison Service, who are committed to working with partners to improve the experience for families with children visiting prisons and minimising the negative impact of imprisonment where possible; particularly through service provision aimed at maintaining and building family relationships.”