Scotland has the second highest imprisonment rate in western Europe; approximately 7,400 people are in prison in Scotland on any given day.
This means that thousands of families – mothers, fathers, partners, siblings, grandparents, children – are affected by imprisonment each day, and there are significant costs that come with this. Many of the people in prison come from Scotland’s most deprived areas. The recent research produced by Families Outside and funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, ‘Paying the Price: The Cost to Families of Imprisonment and Release’, highlights the role of imprisonment in creating, sustaining and deepening poverty; overwhelmingly, the burden of care and costs associated with supporting someone in prison fall to single, low-income women.
In the wake of a decade of austerity, pandemic, and a cost-of-living crisis, the situation in which many families affected by imprisonment find themselves is dire. Remand is a particularly costly time for families, with many spending more than half their income supporting someone in prison.
Fiona describes the financial pressures associated with her partner’s remand: “It was a lot of money. I was spending £10 to get up there every day. I just did it because I wanted to see him… I was working two jobs at the time. I was going to a visit, going to one care job and then another. I never slept.”
After sentencing, the costs remain high, with many spending around a third of their income supporting their family member in prison.
Notably, just 4 of the family members supporting someone in prison interviewed as part of the research earned more than the £20,400 needed to reach the Minimum Income Standard for an acceptable standard of living. The other 46 were living on around £500 per month, after paying rent and tax. Everyone has a right to a dignified standard of living. Scottish Parliament has made commitments to tackling child poverty and the cost of living crisis, but, as it stands, too many families are being failed on this front.
Many who have always faced financial hardship are being plunged further into poverty - going from “struggling” to “really struggling” – as a result of costs associated with imprisonment. And these costs do not end with release: often the first two months post-release are the most expensive for families, due to a glaring dropping-off in services and delays in receiving benefits.
Alongside these intimidating costs, there are unexplained and unnecessary inconsistencies across the estate, with fees varying from prison to prison. Mary, who is supporting her partner in prison, stresses the significance of “extortionate” postage costs as a major expense for families: “I don’t see why some prisons now are letting clothes in and some aren’t. It should be one rule for all.”
Similarly, families incur hugely expensive costs when paying for refreshments at prison visits. A chocolate bar costs £1 in the Scottish Parliament, but the same one costs £2.50 at HMYOI Polmont: why are the prices so different?
Women are carrying these costs, describing themselves as “coping” through self-sacrifice and silent suffering. This has significant effects on their social, mental and physical wellbeing. Often pushed into food and fuel poverty, mothers particularly reported skipping meals and covering up their drastic weight loss, dismissing it as a diet rather than as a result of financial hardship. One mother, interviewed in winter, revealed that she had not had a hot meal in three days to make sure her two children did not go without.
Stigma and a lack of information means that many women, children, and families affected by imprisonment are unseen, unheard and unsupported. Currently, no systematic process is in place to identify families affected by imprisonment at any stage of the justice process. Better identification is essential for their needs to be properly supported, as well as more accessible information that enables families to better understand their rights and access the support to which they are entitled.
The evidence speaks volumes: families already in poverty are being “squeezed to the point of being crushed”. Women have carried these costs in silence for too long, and “it is time their voices are heard”. Urgent action must be taken to reduce the costs of imprisonment for women and families, and change comes from having these conversations. By highlighting the situation in which these women and families find themselves, we can reduce the stigma surrounding the imprisonment of a family member and help lighten the load for those left behind.
If you, as a professional, want to be part of the change, you can take part in our CPD accredited training. Visit our website to find out more and register.
Millie Mann is Communications Officer for Families Outside.
Families Outside is the only national charity in Scotland working solely on behalf of families affected by imprisonment. For support or information, or to find out more, visit the Families Outside website.
