How we help Advocacy A proactive prisoner transfer strategy Developing a proactive prisoner transfer strategy that means people who want to can finish their sentence back in the UK. There are Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) in place with a number of countries, but they are often not made use of, and applications can be unsuccessful due to high levels of bureaucracy. The recent return of Lindsay Sandiford to the UK from Indonesia is the first instance we are aware of when the UK government has applied for a transfer/release on behalf of a British National. There is a wider societal belief that people who have committed a crime in a foreign country should serve their time there. This also ties into current commentary on the underfunding and overpopulation of the UK prison system and the number of foreign nationals held within it. We believe that people who want to should be able to finish their sentence back in the UK. Returning someone to the UK not only means more humane conditions (in many cases) and being able to speak the language but that they are closer to their families or loved ones. Studies have proven that people that maintain relationships with family and friends and have a stable home environment are far less likely to re-offend in the future. We would like to see more PTAs between the UK and other countries. Our recommendation is that the UK government should develop a strategy which includes the proactive assessment and requesting of transfers to the UK of British nationals serving sentences in prisons overseas where there are significant concerns about their health or welfare. The UK government should be negotiating PTAs with countries where there are British citizens in prison there. Where these agreements are not currently in place, we believe consular staff should be able to make representation on individuals’ behalf to the relevant government. News and blogs British citizen Lindsay Sandiford has returned to the UK, alongside Shahab Shahabadi Manage Cookie Preferences