Why Bridging the Gap is needed

• Britain has a higher prison population than almost all Western European countries.
• Overcrowding in prisons means support is needed for inmates and their families, especially as cramped conditions can easily become hostile.
• To support remand prisoners who have not been found guilty of a crime but suffer the worst conditions and regimes.
• To offer pre-release programmes to inmates and training to prisoners who have low attainment, e.g. poor literacy.
• To offer advocacy to discharged offenders, helping them fill in forms, to register at a Job Centre, etc.
• To act as a lobbying body on behalf of prisoners and their families, to instigate and support needed changes to government policy, outdated laws etc. 
• To monitor and challenge mistreatment of inmates in prison and on release as well as unfair treatment of ex-offenders who wish to rebuild their lives.