In March 2024, one of our users, started a thread on the Forum detailing support organisations that our users and their loved one could access as they were navigating through the criminal justice system and the emotional impact of a loved one's arrest. Since then, the thread has been permanently pinned in the Family and Friends Forum topic folder 'Discussion and Support' for ease of access and visibility to our users. As we continue to develop the forum, we have created a dedicated page for this post to ensure it remains easily accessible. It contains essential information and valuable support resources, and we want to make sure it doesn’t get lost among the many forum threads for both new and existing users. The original post has been reproduced here for reference. We do not claim authorship or credit for the original post, although we have added a number of other support services to the original list. If you would like to access the original thread for this post and replies made by our other users, you can find it here.
If there are any organisations, agencies or websites for support that you think should be added to the list below, please email forum@lucyfaithfull.org.uk.
Acts Fast: Support for families of children who have experienced or been impacted by child sexual abuse or assault. Advice, support and trauma counselling for adults who have accessed IIOC and their families.
ATSAC: Association for the Treatment of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity. Provides information and support on sex addiction and compulsivity.
Barnardo’s: Helping children and families feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful. Specific support for children with a parent in prison.
Children Heard and Seen: Support for children with a parent in prison and their families.
Circles UK: Focussed on reducing sex offending in partnership with criminal justice agencies. Customised restorative work to address harmful sexual behaviour. Specialist support for those with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum conditions. Risk and safeguarding courses for families, and specialist therapy and counselling.
Families Outside: (Scotland) A national charity that works with families in Scotland affected by imprisonment.
The Family Rights Group: A charity which provides advice for families involved with children's services.
The Laurel Centre: Provides sex and pornography addiction therapy for individuals and their partners.
The Law Society: Provides help with finding a solicitor.
NACRO: A social justice charity. Provides advice and support to young people and adults, which includes disclosing criminal convictions, information for prisoners/people on licence/those convicted of sexual offences.
PACT: The Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact) is a charity which supports people affected by imprisonment, providing practical and emotional support to prisoners’ children and families, and to prisoners themselves. Free confidential helpline for prisoners’ families and friends (0808 808 2003).
Prisoners families helpline: Free, confidential support and advice for families in England and Wales who have a loved one in contact with the criminal justice system.
SAA (LFF edit: Sex Addicts Anonymous): A programme and safe place to address and heal from sex addiction and harmful sexual behaviours.
Safer Lives: Specialist and individual support, advice and guidance, focussed on welfare and mental strength and wellbeing for offenders and their families. Therapeutic, practical and educational expertise.
The Safer Living Foundation: A charity which provides group and 1:1 support and therapy for individuals who want to understand and manage sexual thoughts.
Shore: A website for teenagers worried about their own or someone else's sexual thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
StopSO: Specialist support and therapy for those concerned about their thoughts or behaviour, and for those impacted by the behaviour of others.
Talking Forward: Facilitated peer support for people impacted by a family member or friend who has engaged with online CSA. Part of a group committed to research into and understanding of online offending.
Unlock: Provides support, information and advice for people with criminal convictions.
We Stand: Offers a range of support services and information for families affected by child sexual abuse.
Young Minds: A charity that supports young people and their mental health.
In the event of a custodial sentence, 'www.emailaprisoner.com' and 'prisonvoicemail.com' are really easy-to-use and valuable ways to keep in touch.