Seen & Heard

A collection of poems and drawings by parents and children affected by imprisonment in the UK and abroad. The poems and images are all original and from open competitions begun in 2018. They address the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the authors as they express themselves concerning their emotions and experiences. Over a million children and family members are affected by imprisonment in the UK alone and the poems seek to emphasise the sense of loss, deprivation and isolation involved. They also show resilience—and how enforced separation impacts each and every day of the writer’s life.

Extract from Mark’s ‘And I Need My Dad’


You are not here

Like my friend’s dad

To build rocket-ships

And kick a football…


You are not here

Because you are there:

Inside doing time,

And I need my dad.


Backed by prison and prisoner interest groups and children’s charities. Contains wholly original material and insights. Linked to public events and initiatives. To be used in education and training.