The Aims of the Society are:

• To support and assist families and friends of prisoners in their visits to the prison
• To ensure that children visiting relatives in prison will feel welcome and find the experience as pleasant as possible
• To relieve hardship due to the poverty of some offenders and their families
• To support the education and training of offenders, and other processes which may assist their rehabilitation
• To collect and publish information relating to criminal justice matters and to the prevention of crime.

Membership of NEPACS is open to all and costs a minimum of £5 per annum. Members receive the Annual Report on the activities of the society and a bulletin which reports more informally on projects, volunteers’, fund-raising events and conferences. It also includes a specially commissioned article by a practitioner or expert in the criminal justice system, and a digest of news and developments in the field both local and national. An AGM is held in Durham every year, followed by a public meeting addressed by a major speaker.

If you are interested in membership of NEPACS, or would like to help in any way, please contact Donald Mackay, Appeals Officer, 0191 3832110 or Trish Macdonald, Secretary, 0191384 6900.