Speakers
Plenary Session
People who maintain positive family ties while in prison are less likely to reoffend on release, but why? What is the evidence base for this, where are the gaps in evidence, and what are the risks? What do we know now, and what more do we need to know to make such an approach work in practice? For the last year, the ASPIRE project reviewed the School Zone model and explored (through collaboration with families, prisons, schools, public health, voluntary organisations, and key policy makers) whether a similar model should be extended to children and families across Wales. Prof Nancy Loucks provides an overview of this research and the wider research into the benefits of supporting family ties but also questions this in the context of child protection and children's human rights, arguing that children and families need to be supported and recognised as more than a tool for resettlement.