Over a ten week project we worked with three families, three men who were resident in the prison, their children, partners and some grandparents. As far as we are aware this kind of project had never been attempted before.
The children were particularly vocal about their enthusiasm for the project, and it was clear that they enjoyed it and were excited about taking part. One girl spoke about how coming to the prison and doing the project with her father was brilliant, but she wouldn’t tell her friends about this because it was a secret that her father was in prison. This small but significant insight highlights how these children, who are all under eight years old, are already dealing with complex emotions and situations. The opportunity for them to have fun with their parents is an important aspect of growing up and having a parent in prison greatly limits this.
