Justice and prisoners’ families

Previous research has shown that prisoners' families in the UK are greatly affected by imprisonment: financially, socially, emotionally and practically. Despite an ever-growing body of literature, however, the topic of prisoners' families has not yet become one of the key themes in criminology and the sociology of punishment. Criminal justice policy has also failed to engage with the needs of prisoners' families, with criminal justice discourse being largely focused on justice as defined by punishments and deserts. Building on the concept of social justice, this paper argues that a broader understanding of justice within criminal justice is sorely needed if social justice is to be achieved for prisoners' families. It then discusses four types of injustices that are highlighted by thinking of prisoners' families through a social justice lens. It concludes that to do justice for prisoners' families, there is a need to broaden the meaning of justice in criminal justice, and discuss social justice and the collateral consequences of imprisonment.