The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.

• Our service strategy 2008-2011

• About us

What works

The Citizens Advice service in prisons and probation settings It costs £35,000 to keep someone in prison for a year, but over two thirds re-offend. Prisoners experience the same issues brought to bureaux generally, but have limited access to the means of sorting these problems out. Advice received on arrival and during a prison sentence can help to reduce the risk of re-offending on release. The CAB service currently provides advice in 43 prisons and 29 probation settings. Bureau workers give generalist and holistic advice to prisoners on subjects including housing, debt and employment. Bureaux can also access specialist help, for example from solicitors, immigration officers and housing departments.

The service provides offenders with continuity throughout their sentence and on release. Our case management system allows clients’ details to pass securely between workers and sites, avoiding the repetition or loss of information. The presence of a CAB in prisons, probation settings and in the community can help an offender anywhere in the country.

Our Citizens Advice staff also work with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) nationally and regionally. For example Citizens Advice chairs five of the Finance, Benefits and Debts strategic pathway groups and is represented on two national reference groups.

More about our work

• What works - the Citizens Advice service in prisons and probation settings ( 110kb)

• Locked out - CAB evidence on prisoners and ex-offenders

• Reducing offending through advice

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