Paying the Price - The cost and impact of imprisonment on families in Ireland
This new TASC report, led by researcher Dr Sara Singleton and commissioned by the Irish Penal Reform Trust, examines how imprisonment places heavy financial and emotional pressure on families across Ireland. Drawing on interviews, survey data and analysis of national and international evidence, the study shows that many families lose essential income, face higher living costs and fall below the minimum standard needed for a decent life. Children are especially affected, with disruptions to their daily routines, school engagement, and emotional well-being.
The report highlights major gaps in current policy, including limited data on parental imprisonment and barriers to income supports for one-parent and kinship families. It sets out practical recommendations for government, calling for stronger child-centred policies, better access to welfare supports, improved visiting conditions, and a coordinated approach across justice, social protection, and children’s services.
The findings make clear that families should not bear the hidden cost of a prison sentence. This research sets out a path towards fairer and more effective support for those most affected. It offers a timely evidence base for policy change at a moment when record numbers of children are living with a parent behind bars.
Key Findings
- Families affected by imprisonment experience major losses in household income and rising expenses, increasing the risk of poverty.
- Many are living below the MESL threshold, unable to afford an acceptable minimum standard of living.
- Caregivers often shoulder both emotional and financial burdens, while children face grief, stigma, educational disruption, and in some cases, long periods of separation from their parent.
- Structural barriers — including childcare gaps, travel costs to prisons, housing insecurity, and digital exclusion — deepen disadvantage.
- Existing supports are fragmented and inadequate, leaving families to rely on charity or experience personal debt to maintain family contact.
The report draws on international examples from Norway, Albania, the UK and other jurisdictions, where family-centred policies such as dedicated travel funds, free communication supports and targeted child benefits help protect a child’s right to family life.
Key Recommendations
The report calls for a coordinated national response grounded in children’s rights and poverty reduction, including:
- Developing a Child Rights Impact Assessment tool to guide policy and practice across justice, welfare, and education systems.
- Recognising children of imprisoned parents as a distinct group needing tailored supports and improved data collection.
- Reforming social welfare eligibility to ensure access to equal support for single parents and kinship carers affected by imprisonment.
- Establishing an Assisted Prison Visits Scheme to cover travel costs for low-income families.
- Improving prison visiting conditions and ensuring every prison offers child-friendly spaces.
- Prioritising non-custodial sentencing where imprisonment would cause serious harm to dependent children.
