Prisoners Advice Service

What Prisoners Advice Service does

Prisoners' Advice Service (PAS) is an independent UK charity founded in 1991 by Liberty, NACRO, Prison Reform Trust, and Howard League for Penal Reform to address demand for legal advice among adult prisoners in England and Wales. The charity provides free legal advice, casework, and representation on Prison Law, human rights, healthcare rights, conditions of imprisonment, categorisation, parole, adjudications, judicial reviews, family law, disability rights, race and religious discrimination, and LGBT+ rights. PAS delivers services through three primary channels: a telephone Advice Line, a Letters Clinic handling written enquiries, and in-prison Outreach Clinics at named facilities including HMPs Belmarsh, Bronzefield, Downview, New Hall, Send, and Pentonville. Supplementary outputs include Self-Help Toolkits, Information Sheets, and the quarterly Prisoners' Legal Rights Bulletin.

The organization's service portfolio also encompasses specialized casework streams for women prisoners, LGBT+ prisoners, older/ill/disabled prisoners, foreign national prisoners (under PAS's Level 3 Immigration Advice Authority accreditation), and BAME prisoners. PAS holds Prison and Public Law contracts with the Legal Aid Agency, is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and was directly responsible for the 2017 Court of Appeal ruling that found cuts to legal aid for prisoners unlawful. The charity is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Reg. No. 3180659, Charity No. 1054495) and explicitly does not accept Home Office or Prison Service funding to preserve operational independence. PAS operates without a technology product; services are human-mediated through telephone, postal correspondence, and in-person outreach.

PAS is funded primarily through charitable trusts and foundations (including the National Lottery Community Fund, City Bridge Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and 20+ smaller trusts), individual and corporate donations (including pro bono and financial contributions from law firms such as Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith Freehills, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown, White & Case, Cooley LLP, Dentons, Reed Smith, Shearman & Sterling, BlackRock, and Field Fisher), and legacy gifts. All services are free of charge to prisoners. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Director Lubia Begum-Rob, who has been with PAS for 20 years. Headcount is 11-50 staff and the operating base is London.

Name

Prisoners Advice Service

Legal name

Prisoners' Advice Service

Website

https://prisonersadvice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prisoners' Advice Service is a UK charity providing free legal advice, representation, and information to adult prisoners in England and Wales on Prison Law, human rights, and conditions of imprisonment through telephone, written, and in-prison outreach channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid and Prison Law Services

NAICS

Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Corrections (Prisons & Jails) (BPAIAFAD), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Prison law advice
• Legal aid services
• Criminal justice advocacy
• Pro bono legal advice
• Prisoner rights support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Trusts and Foundations: The majority of PAS funding comes from charitable Trusts and Foundations. Major supporters include National Lottery Community Fund, City Bridge Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and numerous other grant-making charities.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: PAS accepts donations from individuals and corporate supporters, including law firms that provide financial, pro bono, and in-kind contributions.
3. Legacies: PAS receives legacy gifts (bequests in wills) including pecuniary legacies, residuary legacies, and specific gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Prisoners' Advice Service (PAS) is an independent UK charity that provides free legal advice and representation to adult prisoners in England and Wales on Prison Law, human rights, healthcare rights, and conditions of imprisonment. It delivers services through a telephone Advice Line, a Letters Clinic, in-prison Outreach Clinics, and direct Legal Casework, supplemented by self-help toolkits, information sheets, and the quarterly Prisoners' Legal Rights Bulletin.

Product overview

Prisoners' Advice Service is a UK charity providing free legal advice and representation to adult prisoners in England and Wales. The service operates through multiple channels: a telephone Advice Line, Letters Clinic for written inquiries, Outreach Clinics held inside prisons, and direct Legal Casework. Supplementary information resources include Self-Help Toolkits and Guides, Information Sheets, and the quarterly Prisoners' Legal Rights Bulletin. Specialized services address the distinct needs of women prisoners, older/ill/disabled prisoners, BAME prisoners, LGBT+ prisoners, and foreign nationals. The organization does not offer a technology product but delivers services through human-mediated channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advice Line
• Letters Clinic
• Outreach Clinics
• Legal Casework
• Women Prisoners Service
• Community Care Casework
• LGBT+ Prisoners Support
• PAS Self-Help Toolkits and Guides
• PAS Information Sheets
• Prisoners' Legal Rights Bulletin

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% of women in prison have dependent children; 5% of Advice Line callers, 19% of letter-writers, and 12% of outreach attendees identified as non-heterosexual in 2025-26
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP kindly supported the PAS expert panel discussion on Acquired Brain Injury across the female prison estate (June 2026), providing venue and sponsorship.
• Prison Reform TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAS works in partnership with the Prison Reform Trust on prison law matters, including producing the 'Terminating your IPP licence' legal guide. PAS was co-founded by the Prison Reform Trust in 1991.
• Howard League for Penal ReformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAS works in partnership with the Howard League for Penal Reform on legal challenges and IPP licence termination guidance. PAS was co-founded by the Howard League in 1991.
• Dr Laura Janes, Consultant Solicitor and Chair of the Association of Prison LawyersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Laura Janes co-produced the 'Terminating your IPP licence' legal guide with PAS, Prison Reform Trust, and Howard League for Penal Reform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• INQUEST: UK charity providing expertise on state-related deaths, including prison deaths. Comparable given PAS's work supporting bereaved families and prisoner welfare; thematic overlap on prison deaths and self-harm in custody.
• Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: UK criminal justice research and advocacy charity. Comparable as a criminal justice reform organization with overlapping policy interests (nominated PAS for Una Padel Awards).
• Bail for Immigration Detainees: UK charity providing legal advice and representation to people in immigration detention. Comparable as a specialist legal advice charity serving a detained population with overlapping immigration/deportation work.

Direct peers

• Detention Advice Service: UK charity providing advice to people held in immigration detention. Comparable as a specialist legal advice charity for a detained population; former PAS Chair Martine Lignon chaired Detention Advice Service.
• Women in Prison: UK charity supporting women affected by the criminal justice system. Highly comparable given PAS's dedicated Women Prisoners' Caseworker; former PAS trustee Martine Lignon served as Director of Operations at Women in Prison.
• Prison Reform Trust: UK charity dedicated to reducing imprisonment and improving prison conditions, and co-founder of PAS. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary base; jointly publishes prisoner-facing legal guides with PAS.
• Howard League for Penal Reform: UK penal reform charity and co-founder of PAS. Directly comparable as a long-standing charity focused on prisoner rights and criminal justice reform; PAS partnered with Howard League on the landmark 2017 Court of Appeal legal aid challenge.
• Prisoners Abroad: UK charity supporting British citizens imprisoned overseas and foreign nationals in UK prisons. Directly comparable as a prisoner-focused advice charity; a PAS Women Prisoners' Caseworker previously worked at Prisoners Abroad.
• Liberty: UK civil liberties NGO and co-founder of PAS. Comparable as a rights-based charity providing legal support and advocacy; directly tied to PAS's founding and overlapping prisoner rights litigation.
• Nacro: UK charity working on crime reduction, rehabilitation and resettlement; co-founder of PAS. Comparable as a long-standing criminal justice charity serving prisoners and ex-offenders across England and Wales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrisonersAdvice
• Facebookfacebook.com/prisonersadviceservice

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prisoners Advice Service