Children of prisoners being left on their own - MP

The government has estimated there are 192,000 children with a parent in prison in England and Wales

Children of prisoners "are often the last thing thought of by either the state or anybody else involved" a Conservative MP has told Parliament.

Richard Holden, MP for Basildon and Billericay, called for a "national identification system" to find and support these children.

Holden said "the current system is leaving some children living on their own".

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government would "focus on providing whole family support that will improve the overall life chances of children and families".

In July, the government estimated there were 192,000 children with a parent in prison in England and Wales.

Holden said "67% of children do not visit a parent in prison. 37% go further and have no contact with their parent at all".

He said two-thirds of young boys who have a parent in prison go on to offend themselves.

The Essex MP said there were "multiple cases where a child has been discovered living on their own" and he listed several during the Westminster Hall debate:

• A 15-year-old girl was found to be living on her own only after vigilantes targeted the home of her father who was in prison for sexual offences

• A criminologist was told by a prisoner her two daughters were living on their own without any money for food

• A 16-year-old boy was arrested the same time as his parents but later released and became sole carer for his eight-year-old brother

• A 15-year-old boy was found living on his own, with no gas or electricity, who had been going to school every day without anyone knowing his mum was in prison

Davies-Jones welcomed the issue being raised and said: "These children may have parents in prison but they too are locked in an invisible cell - one of separation, loss and disruption.

"This is particularly acute for children whose mothers go to jail.

"Around three-quarters leave the family home whilst their mum is locked up - losing not just their parent but their school and their home all at once.

"Many of these children are passed between family members but some end up in care."

She said the government aimed to reach more children of prisoners and "put in high quality support, [and] help maintain and improve relationships between parents and children where appropriate".

From April 2025, an extra £500m was being made available for local authorities to provide more integrated care, the minister said.

The Labour government's manifesto for the July general election pledged: "The children of those who are imprisoned are at far greater risk of being drawn into crime than their peers.

"We will ensure that those young people are identified and offered support to break the cycle".

Holden, who was the chairman of the Conservatives when the party published its general election manifesto, praised his opponents' "important commitment".

A similar pledge was not included in the Conservatives' manifesto.