Imprisonment and the Redistribution of Harm Across Families and Wider Relationships

This study examines the impact of imprisonment on the families of incarcerated men in England and Wales. Drawing on mixed-methods survey data collected in collaboration with the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), the research is based on responses from 42 participants. The sample comprised 21 partners/spouses, 11 parents, 5 adult children, 2 siblings, 1 other relative and 1 friend of an incarcerated individual, with 1 participant preferring not to disclose their relationship. The study explores the financial, social, emotional and relational consequences associated with imprisonment. Findings indicate that financial strain was a significant pressure for many participants, driven by loss of income alongside the costs associated with maintaining contact. Participants also described experiences of stigma, social withdrawal, emotional distress and changes to family responsibilities, highlighting the multiple challenges associated with imprisonment for family members. Consistent with emerging research highlighting the wider emotional and psychological consequences of imprisonment for family members, the findings suggest that these pressures were often experienced as interconnected aspects of participants’ experiences rather than in isolation. The study illustrates the value of the symbiotic harms framework for understanding the relational and interconnected dimensions of family members’ experiences of imprisonment in a UK context and highlights the practical and emotional labour involved in maintaining family relationships during imprisonment. The findings underscore the importance of recognising families as individuals directly affected by imprisonment and by the wider consequences of penal policy.