Privacy notice

This privacy notice explains what Family Services means when we talk about personal data, why we ask for this information about you and what we do with it when you use this form.

It also explains how we store your data, how you can get a copy of the information we’ve collected about you and how you can complain if you think we’ve done something wrong.

Who manages this service

This form is managed by Family Services.

The information you submit will be processed by the Unwanted Prisoner Contact team within Family Services.

Family Services is the data controller for the personal data collected by this form.

When we ask for personal data

Whenever we ask for information about you, we promise to:

  • always let you know why we need it
  • ask for relevant personal information only
  • make sure we do not keep it longer than needed
  • keep your information safe and make sure nobody can access it unless authorised to do so
  • only share your data with other organisations for legitimate purposes
  • consider any request you make to correct or delete your personal data

We also promise to make it easy for you to:

  • tell us at any time if you want us to stop storing your personal data
  • make a complaint to the supervisory authority

The personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that you directly provide with your application.

We only collect the information we need to deliver this service to you. The personal data collected includes:

  • Name, contact number(s), email address and postal address of the subject(s) of the non-contact request
  • Name, contact number and email address of the person making the request on behalf of the subject
  • Name and prisoner number of the person who is not to make contact with the subject

We use cookies to collect data that tells us about how the service is used, including:

  • your computer, phone or tablet’s IP address

  • the region or town where you are using your computer, phone or tablet

  • the operating system and web browser you use

This information is not used to identify you personally.

Why we collect your personal data

We collect data to understand the reason for the request for non-contact, to know who is making the request, to know who is not to make contact, to know the person(s) not to be contacted, and who to contact should we require more information. The processing of personal data is necessary to confirm the identity of the prisoner and that of the person not to be contacted.

The legal basis for collecting and processing your personal data is to meet the requirements of GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Use of the online form is voluntary. If you do not provide all the information we ask for, we may not be able to process your enquiry. Please note that transmitting information over the internet is generally not completely secure, and Family Services can’t guarantee the security of your data. Any data you transmit is at your own risk. Family Services have procedures and security features in place to keep your data secure once we receive it.

Sharing your personal data

The information you provide will be shared with the establishment where the prisoner is located. We may also use your contact information to ask for feedback on using the service, but only when you have given your consent for us to do so. We’ll never share your information with other organisations for marketing, market research or commercial purposes.

Keeping your personal data

To protect your personal information, any data you enter as you progress through the online form is held temporarily and securely until you submit your application, after which your application cannot be viewed or modified further online. Family Services will keep your data until the enquiry is complete. It will be archived until 7 years after the prisoner’s release at which point it will be deleted. All deleted data will be destroyed securely and confidentially.

How we use your personal data

Your online submission will be sent from the online form to the Unwanted Prisoner Contact team within Family Services via encrypted email. The system does not retain a copy of your information. Your personal data is not used in any automated decision making (a decision made solely by automated means without any human involvement) or profiling (automated processing of personal data to evaluate certain conditions about an individual).

How we store your personal data

Family Services takes data security very seriously and takes every step to ensure that your data remains private and secure. All data collected by this service is stored in a secure database kept entirely within the UK.

Your application will only be accessible to Family Services (and any other organisations involved in processing the data) staff who require access to process non-contact requests.

Your rights

You have a number of rights, depending on the reason for processing your information. These include:

  • the right to request a copy of your personal data and information about how your personal data is processed (this is known as a subject access request)
  • the right to have inaccuracies in your personal data corrected
  • the right to fill in any gaps in your personal data, including by means of a supplementary statement
  • the right to ask for the processing of your personal data to be restricted
  • the right to ask for your personal data to be deleted if there is no longer a justification for it
  • the right to object to automated decision making, including profiling, that has a legal or significant effect on you as an individual

If you want to see the personal data that we hold on you, you can make a subject access request. Send your request by post to:

Disclosure Team

Post point 10.25

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

or email: data.access@justice.gov.uk

For all other rights, please write to us at:

Email: victim.helpline@justice.gov.uk

Post: Unwanted Prisoner Contact, PO Box, 17594, Birmingham, B2 2QP

Getting more information

You can get more details on:

  • agreements we have with other organisations for sharing information
  • when we can pass on personal information without telling you, for example, to help with the prevention or detection of crime or to produce anonymised statistics
  • instructions we give to staff on how to collect, use or delete your personal information
  • how we check that the information we have is accurate and up-to-date
  • how to make a complaint

For more information, please contact Family Services’ data protection officer at:

Email: victim.helpline@justice.gov.uk

Post: Unwanted Prisoner Contact, PO Box, 17594, Birmingham, B2 2QP.

Making a complaint

When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law. If you think that your information has not been handled correctly, you can contact the Information Commissioner for independent advice about data protection on the address below:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113