Prison Advice and Care Trust

What Prison Advice and Care Trust does

Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust) is a national Catholic charity founded in 1898 (or 1900 per company history) and headquartered in London, operating across England and Wales to support prisoners, people with convictions, and their families. The organisation delivers a multi-channel service portfolio that includes the Prisoners' Families Helpline (phone and web), Family Engagement Services embedded in prisons, court support volunteers under the "Side by Side" project at multiple Crown Courts (Central Criminal Court, Maidstone, Canterbury, Swansea), a prison-based social worker pilot for mothers in custody ("Together a Chance" at HMPs Send and Eastwood Park), the Schools' Toolkit for children affected by parental imprisonment, peer mentoring programs, and emergency welfare grants. Pact supplements direct service delivery with advocacy initiatives ("Picking up the Pieces," "Nobody's Listening," "Hear Our Voice") and faith-based engagement through Parish Representatives and the annual Prisoners' Sunday campaign, reaching 500,000+ people annually and supporting 565,000 prison visits per year.

The operating model is community-led and volunteer-driven, layering digital touchpoints (helpline website with Safer Custody portal, third-party chatbot, Fresh Start quarterly newsletter, Schools' Toolkit) on top of embedded staff and faith-based volunteers. There is no proprietary technology platform; the technology footprint is deliberately light, and competitive advantage rests on relationship density, institutional access to prisons and courts, and 125+ years of brand credibility rather than software. Pact maintains an ISMS designed to meet ISO 27001:2022 with annual internal and external audits.

Revenue is generated exclusively through donations, grants, and government-commissioned services rather than beneficiary fees. Income streams include individual donations and parish collections, corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations funding (e.g., Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust for Together a Chance), and HMPPS-commissioned service contracts. All services are provided free of charge. The charity is registered as Charity no. 219278 and Company no. 356443, governed by a board of trustees, with operational leadership from CEO Andy Keen-Downs and President Archbishop Richard Moth (appointed June 2026).

Name

Prison Advice and Care Trust

Legal name

Prison Advice and Care Trust

Website

https://prisonadvice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Pact is a 125+ year-old London-based national Catholic charity supporting prisoners, people with convictions, and their families across England and Wales through helplines, in-prison services, court support, schools' programs, and advocacy, funded by donations, grants, and government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prison and criminal justice charity services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Prison family support
• Criminal justice charity
• Prisoner welfare services
• Resettlement support
• Faith-based advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations from supporters, including one-off and regular giving. Parish second collections during Prisoners' Sunday and other appeals. Major giving and philanthropy from high-net-worth individuals.
2. Trusts and Foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations such as Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust for specific projects. Government grants through HMPPS for commissioned services.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships with businesses for funding and support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) is a national Catholic charity that delivers free, direct support services to prisoners, people with convictions, and their families across England and Wales. Its core offerings include the Prisoners' Families Helpline, in-prison Family Engagement services, Court Support (Side by Side), the Together a Chance social work pilot for mothers in custody, Befriending and Peer Mentor programmes, First Night in Custody support, Emergency Welfare Grants, and a Schools' Toolkit for children affected by parental imprisonment, complemented by faith-based initiatives such as the Parish Representative Programme and Prisoners' Sunday.

Product overview

Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust) is a pioneering national Catholic charity offering a comprehensive suite of services supporting prisoners, people with convictions, and their families across England and Wales. The core portfolio includes the Prisoners' Families Helpline (a phone and web service), Court Support Service (Side by Side) providing court-based family support, Family Engagement Services in prisons, the Together a Chance prison-based social worker pilot for mothers, Befriending Services, Emergency Welfare Grants, and a Schools' Toolkit for children affected by parental imprisonment. Faith-based initiatives include the Parish Representative Programme, Prisoners' Sunday annual day of prayer, and the Fresh Start quarterly newsletter. Pact also conducts advocacy through programmes like Picking up the Pieces, Nobody's Listening, and Hear Our Voice. The organisation operates from London with services spanning courts, prisons, and community settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Side by Side: Court support project supporting defendants and their families through the court process
• Together a Chance
• Picking up the Pieces
• Prisoners' Families Helpline
• Prisoners' Sunday

Products and services

• Prisoners' Families Helpline A national helpline and website providing support and information for families with a loved one in contact with the criminal justice system in England and Wales, staffed by trained professionals with personal and professional experience of the criminal justice system.
• Court Support Service (Side by Side) Trained court volunteers support defendants' families at hearings, trials, or sentencing, providing emotional support and practical information about prison visits, sentence calculations, and family services at Central Criminal Court, Maidstone Crown Court, Canterbury Crown Court, and Swansea Crown Court.
• Family Engagement Service Pact staff embedded in prisons who support prisoners and their families, helping with visit bookings, contact setup, and family relationships to reduce reoffending.
• Befriending Service Peer support groups and befriending services connecting families with others who have experienced imprisonment, providing emotional support and shared experiences.
• Together a Chance A pilot project placing specialist social workers in women's prisons (HMPs Send and Eastwood Park) to support mothers in custody maintain links with their children, complementing local authority social work while providing prison-based expertise.
• Parish Representative Programme A network of volunteers who act as points of contact within parish communities, promoting awareness of issues affecting people in the criminal justice system and supporting Pact's faith-based initiatives.
• Schools' Toolkit A digital toolkit for schools to support children affected by parental imprisonment, currently used in over 350 schools and 45 local authorities across England and Wales, with face-to-face training including prison visits for teachers.
• First Night in Custody Services Support services for people in their first night in prison custody, providing immediate assistance and orientation to the prison system.
• Emergency Welfare Grants Financial grants provided to people affected by imprisonment for emergency needs, helping families and individuals facing crisis situations; nearly 600 grants were provided last year.
• Safer Custody Portal A web portal on the Prisoners' Families Helpline website for families to raise concerns about their loved one's welfare in prison, with Pact staff able to escalate issues to prison authorities.
• Children & Young People Services Specialised support for children and young people with a parent in prison, including resources, advocacy, and programmes to help them cope with the impact of imprisonment.
• Peer Mentor Programme Serving prisoners trained as peer mentors to support new arrivals acclimatise to prison life, providing emotional support and helping with processes such as booking visits and accessing healthcare.
• Pact Family Engagement Worker Support Family Engagement Workers support prisoners in setting up contacts, booking visits, and connecting with family members, particularly during the critical first nights and weeks in custody.
• Prisoners' Sunday A national day of prayer and support held annually (11 October 2026), encouraging churches and communities to pray for prisoners and their families, with resources, events, and donation opportunities; in 2025, Prisoners' Sunday Mass was held in 13 cathedrals across England and Wales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prisoners who receive visits from family members are 39% less likely to reoffend
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPact works closely with HMPPS delivering commissioned services in prisons, including Family Engagement Services, court support, and visitor services. The organization receives government funding through HMPPS for specific programs.
• Thames Valley Violence Reduction PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPact supports Operation Paramount program which uses NOMIS database to identify and offer support to family members of prisoners.
• University of Cardiff (CASCADE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner conducting evaluation research on Pact's Together a Chance project, providing evidence of program effectiveness.
• Ministry of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department responsible for criminal justice policy; Pact advocates for policy changes and delivers services that align with Ministry objectives on reducing reoffending.
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch authority that designates Prisoners' Sunday and supports Pact's work through parish networks and institutional endorsement. Archbishop Richard Moth serves as Pact President.
• Caritas Social Action NetworkminorOthersMember organization of Caritas Social Action Network, indicating Catholic social action affiliation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Howard League for Penal Reform: The Howard League is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK, combining research, campaigning, and direct legal services for children and adults in custody. It overlaps with Pact on criminal justice advocacy and in-prison support, particularly for young people.
• Nacro: Nacro is a long-standing UK charity providing resettlement, housing, education, and justice services for people in contact with the criminal justice system. It is one of the closest direct peers to Pact, offering overlapping in-prison, probation, and family-facing services across England and Wales.
• Clinks: Clinks is the UK infrastructure body supporting voluntary organisations working in criminal justice, including family services. While not a direct service competitor, it shapes the funding, policy, and partnership environment in which Pact operates.
• User Voice: User Voice works with people in prison and on probation across the UK to co-design rehabilitation services and provides in-custody peer-led support. It is a direct peer in the lived-experience-led criminal justice support space.
• Prison Reform Trust: Prison Reform Trust is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane, and effective penal system through research, advocacy, and policy reform. It shares Pact's criminal justice focus but operates primarily as an advocacy body rather than a service-delivery organisation.
• Partners of Prisoners (POPS): POPS supports families and significant others of prisoners across the North West of England, providing practical and emotional support during and after a loved one's imprisonment. It directly mirrors Pact's family-facing service model at a regional level.
• St Giles Trust: St Giles Trust is a UK charity helping people facing severe disadvantage — including prison leavers and those at risk of offending — through casework, training, and in-custody support. It directly competes with Pact for HMPPS commissioned services and resettlement contracts.

Emerging players

• Switchback: Switchback is a London-based charity providing long-term mentoring to young men leaving prison, focused on real-world reintegration outcomes. It is an emerging peer that overlaps with Pact's resettlement and peer-mentoring offerings for a narrower demographic.
• Birth Companions: Birth Companions supports women experiencing severe disadvantage in pregnancy and around birth, including those in custody. Its prison-based maternity and mother-baby support is directly comparable to Pact's Together a Chance project.

Others

• Caritas Social Action Network: CSAN is the Catholic social action umbrella of which Pact is a member; it coordinates the broader network of Catholic charities. It is comparable as an ecosystem/peer organisation that shares values and occasionally co-commissions work in adjacent social action domains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PactFaithAction
• Facebookfacebook.com/pactprisonadvice

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Prison Advice and Care Trust