Our Strategy and Priorities to 2030

By Christopher Stacey

I am delighted that we launch our strategy and priorities for the next five years to 2030, and as part of this important moment I believe it is important that we reflect on the work that we have done as an organisation over the last year or so to understand the developing needs and context that British people in prison overseas and their families are in. 

Prisoners Abroad has achieved much in the last 47 years, and part of any strategic planning has to connect back to the principal reasons for which the charity was first established. In particular, our founders were courageous in setting up a charity that sought to support and advocate for a group that, until that point, had no dedicated organisation focusing on their needs. They established a credible reputation which gave British people in prison overseas a voice with the UK government, for example advocating for legislation that allowed for transfers back to the UK to complete sentences. We will be continuing to build on this advocacy role as we aim to ensure that the voices and experiences of the people we are supporting are listened to and understood by policymakers so that improvements and developments in policy and practice can be made. 

In developing this strategy, we have focused on hearing from a wide range of stakeholders and supporters on what they think about the need for our work and where we should be focusing in the years ahead. We had input from over 300 individuals, with over half of those from people who have experienced imprisonment overseas either themselves or as a family member. We are grateful for their contribution as it has significantly shaped both our priorities and approach in this strategy. 

It is important to have a plan for the future, helping to show the direction we are going in. However, lasting change is inherently emergent, so we should not expect the reality to exactly match the plan. There has to be room for tensions, uncertainties and learning, enabling us to be creative and share power, so this strategy and our priorities are very much about setting out our general direction and giving us permission to explore. We will report regularly on the progress we are making.  

In thinking strategically, we have ensured that our purpose and values are at the centre. We have been looking back at where we have come from, our organisational history, and looking forward to what is on the horizon, anticipating and preparing for changes, as well as looking internally at our organisational context, our resources, strengths and challenges. 

The title of this strategy – Support. Action. Hope. – reflects a strong message that we heard from our stakeholders, capturing the essence of what we do and, despite the complexity of our day-to-day work, simply communicating what we focus on. Support to ease the emotional distress and isolation felt by British citizens imprisoned overseas and their loved ones at home. Action to safeguard and advocate for their rights, health and welfare. Hope to rebuild a connection to their country, their family and their own sense of self on their return. 

During this strategic period, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary as a charity in 2028. This will be an important moment to reflect on our impact, look ahead to the future, and the role of our supporters in helping us to continue for another 50 years, ensuring that the organisation is able to meet the needs of people by raising the necessary funds and being financially secure. 

Too often strategies are built with the assumption of growth in mind. For Prisoners Abroad, we plan to develop. That means we are looking at where we can do more, where we might work differently, how we maintain quality, develop sustainable capacity, explore collaborations and partnerships, and ultimately be confident that we are having the greatest positive impact.  

It is important that we frame our work so that it empowers the individuals we support and advocate for, using people-first language. We will describe the three parts of our frontline work as support, rather than services, avoiding the risk of creating a transactional relationship and defining expectations that do not reflect the breadth, depth and flexibility of support. We will refer to our frontline work as having three core pillars: overseas support, family support and resettlement support. We will look at our brand, logo, messaging and overall image to help to best communicate what we do and the impact we have.  

Our redefined values are the golden thread that runs throughout everything we do and the decisions that we make. They motivate and guide us. They are the passion in our hearts, and set out what we think is important and what the organisation really stands for. So as part of our strategic development, we decided to be intentional in spending some time thinking about our values. Our values guide our approach to supporting and advocating for British people in prison overseas and their families, and shape how we work as an organisation.  

We are ambitious but pragmatic about the future. We are excited to deliver on this strategy, developing our frontline support alongside a focus on advocating for improvements in policy and practice. Our success relies on us continuing to build support amongst funders, donors, partners and supporters, and ultimately we will be guided by our redefined values as we strive towards delivering on our mission and towards achieving our vision.