Prison Advice and Care Trust

[2] Pact was established in 2001, as a result of the merger of the Bourne Trust and the Prisoners' Wives and Families Society (PWFS).

It helped prisoners in all sorts of ways – for example, finding work for ex-prisoners and providing them with lodgings and food.

By 1923, the Trust was helping nearly 1,000 prisoners a year – not only by providing practical aid, but also by linking them up with local churches, schools, hospitals and employers.

In 1966, the Trust formed the Hope Housing Association to alleviate the appalling conditions that some prisoners' families were living in.

The following year, funds were raised to erect a prefabricated building to accommodate young ex-offenders.In 1990, the organisation changed its name to the Bourne Trust.

[4] PWFS was set up in 1975 when a group of prisoners' wives who had been meeting to discuss their problems and support one another decided to launch a self-help organisation.

The aim of Pact visitors' centres is to provide information, support and advice, and a safe, child-friendly environment where people can wait and relax.

First Night in Custody workers and volunteers sit down one-to-one with new prisoners, listen to their concerns, and often contact relatives on their behalf.

[9] It involves a group of volunteers (often motivated by their faith) who meet regularly with the ex-offender and help him or her making a fresh start in their life.

A joint Agenda for Action was launched at the House of Lords in December 2007, with 30 recommendations for government, ranging from family-friendly visitors' centres to radically improved prison visits booking lines.

[10][11] The President of the charity is the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.