How we help Prisoner and family support Help for prisoners and their families Involvement with the media People in prison and/or their family members may find themselves in contact with the media (radio, TV, national or local press); there can be a lot of interest in high profile cases, overseas prisons and the treatment of British citizens, legal difficulties and the personal implications on family or loved ones. Media contact can happen in different ways: you may be contacted directly by the media because your case or the case of your family member is in the public domain; or you may decide to publicise the case to raise awareness; or journalists may get in touch with Prisoners Abroad about a particular case or issue. What happens when Prisoners Abroad is contacted by the media? Prisoners Abroad sometimes receives enquiries from journalists who want information about a high-profile arrest, to find out about issues relating to imprisonment abroad, or to contact a prisoner or family member about their situation. If appropriate, Prisoners Abroad may contact you about a media enquiry we have received. Prisoners Abroad’s usual policy is not to discuss details or specifics of individual cases. We have a strict confidentiality policy and would never pass on names or details, or contact the media about a case unless we have permission to do so. If you decide to respond to media enquiries or to approach the media directly to publicise your case or that of a family member, it is always helpful to mention Prisoners Abroad to the journalist so that we can support your approach and provide information about our work. This can help to raise awareness of the issues that people in prison face and can encourage people to donate to Prisoners Abroad. Here are some things for you to carefully consider before discussing your situation or case with a journalist: Publicity could help raise awareness of your case. It could be a chance to set the record straight, if the case has been misrepresented in the media. It highlights for others the difficulties faced by people who are arrested overseas. Sharing your story may attract negative attention in the country of imprisonment. You may not have control over where your story will appear, how it is portrayed, or the amount of coverage it gets. You have no control over what is shared on social media or what appears online. Your story may be publicly visible for a long time, so could affect future situations such as employment prospects. Unless there is something unusual or perhaps shocking about your case, journalists may not find it newsworthy. Local TV, radio and newspapers are often keen to cover the story of a local person in prison abroad, particularly when conditions are harsh or if there is a miscarriage of justice. Keep a dated record of all your conversations with journalists. You may be asked difficult questions which you may not feel comfortable answering. Even if you have agreed to be involved, you can change your mind at any time. Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list of everything you should consider as every individual situation is different. Sharing your story We share the stories of people in prison with supporters and potential supporters of Prisoners Abroad. This can help people understand what it’s like being in prison abroad or having a family member imprisoned, encourage them to donate to Prisoners Abroad’s work, and help others in the same situation. These stories might appear on our website, on our social media channels, and in our supporter emails, newsletters and other print publications. Being affected by overseas imprisonment, either directly or indirectly, can throw up a lot of complex thoughts and emotions, so you may find that writing down and sharing your story can help to process your experience. If you would like to share your story at any point during your sentence or discuss a personal experience you have had with the media, please get in contact with us by: emailing [email protected]; calling us on 0808 172 0098 (free from any UK landline or mobile) or +44 20 7561 6820 (from overseas) and selecting option 1; using one of our free post envelopes if you are in prison abroad. We can send you some questions to think about which will help structure your writing. We will always seek your permission before publishing your story, and you can be anonymous if you wish. We can send you some questions to think about which will help structure your writing. We will always seek your permission before publishing your story, and you can be anonymous if you wish. You can find this advice in our handbooks (see Chapter 6 of In Prison Abroad and Chapter 7 of Holding the Fort for families) and dedicated factsheet. If you would like a physical copy of either of these, please let us know. What we hadn’t realised was that the rest of the country was already learning about what had happened as the news was broadcast on television. – A family member of someone imprisoned overseas. Next page: Preparing for release Manage Cookie Preferences