Margaret
Category: Family Links
Margaret Smith will never forget the day she went to court with her husband John. They did not expect that he would be found guilty of his first offence nor that he would be sent to prison for two years. They had not told their children aged 3, 10 and 13, where they were going.
John was found guilty and sent to prison straight from court. Margaret was left in the court in a state of shock. "How am I going to tell the kids?" she asked. Meanwhile the kids came home from school to find their dad was not there.
Margaret did not know where the prison was. She was overwhelmed. Was it going to be in the newspapers? What about John's job and the Family's benefits? Would she be able to visit him?
NIACRO's Family Links service stepped in right away to help. A Family Links Project Worker, Joan, phoned Margaret on the day John went to prison and sent her an information pack giving her all the information she needed about what to do next. Margaret was very relieved as she needed practical, helpful advice quickly.
Joan listened carefully to Margaret's fears about John's safety in prison. Joan rang the prison and was able to let Margaret know that he had settled in well, was sharing a cell with another guy and that they were getting on well together. Importantly Joan asked John to send Margaret a reference number that would allow her to book a visit.
Emotionally Margaret was distraught and worried about her children. Joan talked with the children's school as Margaret was unable to do so and got help with buying their school uniforms. Joan was able to support Margaret emotionally during the first few difficult months.
Margaret's financial worries were addressed during a visit to her home by the NIACRO Benefits Office who sorted out her benefits. Margaret also got help to make a claim under the Assisted Visits Scheme towards the cost of visiting John in prison.
Joan supported Margaret and the family over the first six months of John's two-year sentence by which time Margaret was much more able to cope with her situation.
Joan saw this progress but assured Margaret that her door remained open in case further help was needed.
John completed his sentence and is now back with his family.