Our Impact
The Impact We Make
For over 36 years, we’ve been committed to providing support, raising awareness, and advocating for lasting change. Every year, we are proud to reach thousands of people through our services, partnerships, and community initiatives. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Here’s a closer look at the impact we’re making together.
Supporting Families
We believe no one should ever feel alone in their journey. Whether it’s through the one-to-one support provided by our Family Engagement Workers, the family forums run across our projects or our family information network, we provide support for families dealing with the emotional, practical and social tolls of navigating the criminal justice system.
What we do:
- Provide practical advice and emotional support to families
- Offer safe, confidential spaces where families can share their experiences
- Advocate for fairer treatment and better policies for prisoners’ families
Impact:
Over the last twelve months
people supported through visits across 15 prisons.
family members assisted with 'Help With Prison Visits' applications.
children provided with homework support in prisons.
first-time visitors supported.
children and young people supported (of which 2,240 were 17+)
%
of women attending POPS' Women's Centre successfully achieved positive outcomes against their individual action plans.
Raising Awareness and Eradicating Stigma
Being labelled ‘guilty by association’ can carry a heavy burden. It can lead to isolation, discrimination, and a loss of hope. Through our training programmes, speaking engagements and media outreach we are shifting the narrative and raising awareness about the challenges faced by prisoners’ families.
What we do:
- Provide training for professionals and institutions to foster better understanding and support
- Provide opportunities for families to share their experiences at national and international events.
- Engage with media to highlight the struggles—and strengths—of families
Impact:
In the last year POPS has:
- delivered 20 Hidden Sentence training sessions to approximately 400 professionals.
- hosted the launch of the Long Stretch Report (PRT) investigating the experiences of long-sentenced prisoners and supported family members to present their experiences to an invited audience of criminal justice professionals.
- contributed our expert voice to the Unlocked Perspectives podcast series highlighting the true stories of real people who have been impacted by the prison system in England and Wales.
Changing Lives Through Advocacy
The work we do goes beyond immediate support. We’re actively involved in policy advocacy, pushing for systemic changes that will improve the lives of those we serve. From contributing to major reports and inquiries to being at the forefront of national and local discussions, we advocate for better treatment of prisoners and their families, with the goal of reforming systems that contribute to social inequality.
What we do:
- Contribute to government inquiries and reports, shaping policies
- Build relationships with decision-makers, ensuring prisoners’ families have a voice
- Offer consultancy and expert advice on family support best practices
Impact:
In the last year POPS has:
- led the Children and Families Pathway for the ‘Better Outcomes for young adults returning from custody’ study across Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire which resulted in strategies to help develop pro-social identities for young adults returning from custody.
- participated in the national review of Youth Custody examining how HMPPS support the families of young people in custody.
- Been an active member of the Clinks advisory board supporting and capacity building Clinks membership organisations to deliver services in the justice arena.
Empowering Communities
At the heart of our work is the power of community. We bring people together, offer safe spaces for families, and foster a sense of belonging. Whether it’s through our family forums, community events or engagement with research institutions, we create environments where families feel seen, heard, and empowered.
What we do:
- Organise online and face-to-face family forums, workshops, and events
- Ensure families have every opportunity to advocate for themselves in the forums where POPS are represented.
- Create partnerships with local organisations to amplify our impact
Impact:
In the last year POPS has:
- supported families to participate in the HMIP thematic review of family support in prisons and advocated for family member representation as part of the ongoing HMIP review process.
- conducted 66 prison-based family forums.
- partnered with Mother Mountain Productions and GMCA at the POPS’ Women’s Centre to deliver Flourish, a bilingual Virtual Reality Experience, co-designed with survivors of coercive control, to help others make sense of their experience of abusive relationships and move forward.
Annual Reviews
If you want to read more about our impact over the years have a look at our Annual Reviews.
Real Stories, Real Change
Hear from just a few of the families who have been directly impacted by our work:
Sarah*, mother of a prisoner:
“POPS has been a huge help and support every day as we needed it, not only for your knowledgeable information, but for our mental wellbeing and my son’s wellbeing, help[ing] his understanding of how the system works and what is available to him, plus knowing he has you guys there for support with what he is going through.”
Sumayah*, mother of a prisoner:
“Huge thanks for all your support in helping myself, my son and my family…if it wasn’t for the support from POPS, we wouldn’t of been able to understand the court case procedure or [find out] where my son was, as we tried to get through this difficult time.”
Together, We Can Do More
The impact we’ve made wouldn’t be possible without the support of our incredible donors, volunteers, and partners. Every day, you help us offer hope and make lasting change in the lives of prisoners and their families. But there’s still so much more to be done.
By supporting us, you’re not just helping individuals—you’re helping build a more compassionate, fair, and just society for all.
Join us in making a difference. Together, we can continue to create positive, lasting change.
