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<p>We recognise that families and significant other relationships can be a positive
influence on reducing reoffending, and also encourage prisoners to maintain contact
to improve prisoners’ health and well-being. Strengthening these ties is one of the
many important factors to successful rehabilitation, with studies showing that prisoners
who receive family visits are 39% less likely to reoffend. We also recognise, however,
that there are some circumstances where, owing to the nature of the offence, family
contact would not be desirable.</p><p>Policy responsibility for children who may be
vulnerable as a result of parental incarceration in England sits with the Secretary
of State for Education, while policy responsibility is a devolved matter in Wales.
As part of our commitment to strengthening family ties, we are working across Government
with the Department of Education, Welsh Government and Other Government Departments,
to understand how to best support children, who may be vulnerable, as a result of
parental incarceration.</p><p>HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are in the process
of developing requirements for the provision of the Prisoner, Family and Significant
Other Services, that will operate from October 2022. As part of that process, HMPPS
will be engaging with the external market to help inform and further develop the final
specification for those services, which will subsequently be published within the
procurement documentation and available to all potential bidders in January 2022.</p>
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