CYP Now - Interview: Lucy Gampell, director, Action for Prisoners' Families

According to Lucy Gampell, at least seven per cent of children will experience the imprisonment of a parent. "That is beside all those who will see another family member go to prison," she says.

"The big challenge now is to get people to take this seriously. In the Children's Plan, there is only one paragraph about this and it refers to parents, not children. The Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have recognised the problem, but they have not committed themselves."

When Gampell joined Action for Prisoners' Families in 1993 after studying criminology, the charity was known as the Federation of Prisoners' Families Support Groups and had little recognition or profile.

"We have changed a great deal since then," she says. "We have a higher profile and are nationally recognised. The reason we have been successful is because we have always been innovative. We haven't been afraid to try out new things."

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included