“Our family had no previous experience with the [criminal legal] system and found it very difficult to come to terms with what happened. We now feel we can hope for a positive outcome thanks to the knowledge and assistance provided by CRC and are extremely grateful for the support we received.”
– CRC client
CRC’s Family Counselling provides telephone counselling and support to anyone in NSW with a family member or friend in a correctional centre. Face-to-face counselling may be available for families in the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Government Area.
When a person goes to prison their family can be left feeling scared, anxious, angry or embarrassed, as well as trying to understand a system they know little about. They may also feel socially isolated yet reluctant to seek support because of the stigma attached. For many families, the incarceration of a loved one can lead to financial and practical difficulties and many changes that can be stressful.
Counselling is often helpful in supporting families through the stressful process of incarceration and assist in planning for release and family reintegration following a period of imprisonment. Contact us to speak to our Family Counsellor.
You can also contact us and speak to a worker for our Telephone Information and Referral Service, who can provide information about where to access counselling in your area.
This project is funded through the Office of Responsible Gambling, NSW Department of Customer Service.
Access: Phone (02) 9288 8700, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
Eligibility: This service is available to family members and friends of people in NSW prisons.
Travel Support for Prison Visitors
You may be eligible for travel support.
Keeping in touch with someone in prison can be costly, both financially and emotionally. For those having to travel long distances the impact can be even greater. The Travel Support service aims to ease the difficulties of long-distance travel by contributing to some of the travel costs incurred by people visiting a prison that is a significant distance from home. You can claim for one visit every 12 weeks.
This service is funded by CSNSW.
Find out more about Travel Support for Prison Visitors
Information for Counsellors
For counsellors working in other agencies seeking more information on how best to support families with a loved one in custody, please review our Practitioner Factsheet: Families and Imprisonment. This factsheet provides information and best practice tips for practitioners to better support families of people who have been incarcerated.
Alternatively, counsellors and family workers are welcome to call and speak to the CRC Family Counsellor for information and advice on working with people with a loved one in custody.
Practitioner Factsheet: Families and Imprisonment
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