Custody

Whilst you are in custody, we will:

• Visit you in prison at least once every 8 weeks up at least until your 21st birthday;

• Send you £5 per week up to the age of 25 to spend on essential items in prison as long as you are engaging in regular visits/pathway plan reviews with your leaving care practitioner;

• Consider financial support for personal items e.g. skin/hair products for Black & Global Majority care leavers or items to support physical health/ religious practices 

• Ensure we know who your Prison Offending Manager is and that you are given a copy of your sentence plan

• Use Email a Prisoner, Arranging Visits or Prison Voicemail services to contact you

• If we are not aware of your location, we will Complete a Find a Prisoner search to locate you

• Make sure there is a clear plan with you and your network about what will happen when you are released e.g. where you are going to live and what support you will need.

• Discuss who else you are in contact with and whether you would like us share any information with your family or close friends 

Once you are released from custody we will:

• Come and pick you up from prison on your day of release and take you to where you are going to be staying going forward, if you would like us to

• Provide you with a prison release support pack

• Provide a one-off payment of up to £500 to support resettlement

• Continue to regularly speak or meet with you and your probation officer, to make sure you are getting all the support you need from them.  

Our Virtual School will: 

• If you'd like, your Education, Employment and Training (EET) Adviser can attend resettlement meetings leading up to your release to help you plan for suitable EET opportunities to engage with.

• If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) it will be provided by a member of the virtual school to the educational staff in custody.  They will help to ensure that you are getting the right support with education.  Annual reviews will take place if necessar.

• If you are due to take your GCSEs the Virtual School will support you to receive your papers and take your exams.

• If you would like to have books sent into you in custody, the virtual school offers of a menu of books you can request.  This will include maths and English revision books.