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lobbying body on behalf of prisoners and their families, to instigate and support needed changes to government policy, outdated laws etc.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.