Consequently, this means families are not involved in the process of rehabilitation, and there is no one person the family can contact for information. This means there is no body they can pass on concerns to about the prisoner’s welfare or mental health unless the families were to get in direct contact with the prison officers. Family members may be reluctant to do this if they themselves have been in the prison system or if they have a jaded view of the justice system in the UK. Farrant and Hartworth (2012) have identified that a lack of information for prisoners’ families is a recurrent complaint and visits are seen as a particular problem. Some families only find out that a prisoner’s visit entitlement has changed, or even that they have been transferred to another prison, on arrival for a visit. The above point demonstrates the value of NEPACS in the criminal justice system as it stands currently. They are a vital link between the prisoner and their family to ensure family ties are