19th September 2004
The prison service for England and Wales has commissioned KIDS VIP to produce a good practice framework for children maintaining contact with their parents in prison. The aim is to set out the benefits of child-friendly prisons, the requirements and the possibilities. There is much good practice available to share , but it is not yet consistent across the prison estate. The new work will build on Children Visiting Prisons: a Good Practice Guide produced in Scotland in 1999.The first few consultative meetings have been held to develop the form of the guide, which aims to be as user friendly as possible and be available next year. It will cover the whole visiting process from arrival at the visitor center outside the prison gate, through to the different types of visit, which children might make. Kids Vip will include good practice from both British prisons, and will also include international references.