A CHARITY is inviting friends and families of prisoners to have their say on how family ties could be placed at the heart of prison reform in the North-East.

The Visitors’ Voice event will take place on Tuesday, March 6, from 10am to 2pm, at Bowburn Community Centre, Bowburn. The event has been organised by Nepacs, a charity supporting a positive future for prisoners and their families.

Helen Attewell, chief executive of Nepacs, said: “In August last year the Ministry of Justice published a landmark review by Lord Michael Farmer in which he recommended that family ties should be a golden thread running through the new policy frameworks being put in place to reform prisons.

“In light of this review we want our Visitors Voice event to give families and friends of prisoners in the North-East the chance to tell local prisons what would make the biggest difference to them in terms of helping to strengthen family ties.”

Helen added: “There will also be an opportunity to talk to prison staff, hear from the head of the Assisted Prison Visits Unit who provide help with visiting costs and to take part in a mental wellbeing session.”

For more information about the event or to book a place, email training@nepacs.co.uk or telephone 0191-332-3810. Alternatively, if you already go to a visitors’ centre in the region you can book your place with the centre manager.