PRESS RELEASE

Prisoners Abroad is launching the first edition of The Cheal report – understanding prisoners abroad.

The report - named after one of Prisoners Abroad’s founders, Chris Cheal, who was once in prison himself – is compiled using the data that Prisoners Abroad has access to and brings together important insights into the number and characteristics of British people that are (1) detained in prisons overseas, (2) their family and friends, and (3) those that return to the UK.

This is the first publication of its kind from Prisoners Abroad, highlighting data relating to prisoner physical and mental health, substance misuse, offence trends and numbers supported globally. This is part of the strategic objective to ensure all British citizens in prison overseas are aware of what support they can access, and what more can be done to understand the total number and location of British citizens in prison overseas.

Christopher Stacey, chief executive, who led the development of the report, says:

This inaugural report shines a stark spotlight on the desperate challenges that face British citizens struggling to survive in prisons around the world. We supported 1,170 British people in prisons overseas last year, with significant numbers facing severe isolation; three-quarters of people detained in non-English speaking countries did not speak the language, and six in every ten people did not receive any form of visits. People struggle to afford access to basic essentials like nutritious food and clean drinking water, with nearly a third not receiving any money or financial support from anyone outside the prison, and only 29% having had some form of work opportunity in prison.

In what is hoped will be an annual publication, it looks at how the numbers and characteristics are changing over time, while identifying trends and challenges, across these three key groups.

Christopher continues:

To make sure that every British citizen in prison overseas knows about the support that is available to them, their families and when they return to the UK, there is more work that needs to be done to better understand the numbers of British citizens in prison overseas, where they are and what they need. 

Download: the Cheal report to read in full and please get in touch below if you have any enquires. 

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Emily Richards, Head of Giving and Communications

[email protected]