Closed petition Allow conjugal visits for partners and children in England and Wales

Closed on 18 July 2023

An estimated 310,000 children have a parent in prison in England and Wales. 10,000 visits are made by children to prisons every week. With a limited number of visits per month, typically lasting for a maximum of 1 hour each, prison can have a hugely damaging effect on relationships and families.

In many other countries conjugal visits are permitted. However, in the UK they are is not permitted. Introducing conjugal visits should reduce the impact on relationships of incarceration. It could also make prisoners more likely to follow the rules for fear of losing their right to have a visit.

Norway allows conjugal visits and it has one of the lowest re-offending rates in the world, with only 20% of convicts reoffending within two years of release. In comparison, the reoffending rate for convicts released from prisons in England and Wales is over 20% within one year of release.