A new research report focusing on the children and families of prisoners will be launched later this morning.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (PIRT) commissioned the report to explore the effects on families and to highlight the lack of policy surrounding the issue. 

The report is a culmination of 6 months of research into families and children of prisoners and service providers in the area.

The Trust argues that children of prisoners often become the silent victims of the prison service and that systems need to be put in place to protect them.

"Invisible victims"

Liam Herrick of the IPRT says relatives of prisoners are often the invisible victims of the prison service.

"We"ve been conscious for quite some time that while there"s a lot of focus on the prison system and the rights of victims - and indeed the rights of prisoners - the families of prisoners are often indirect invisible victims, if you like, of the prison system" he said.

"The impact of the imprisonment on a parent - particularly on children - can be very profound".

"So what the report really concluders is that there are very practical steps that government can take, that the Prison Service can take and other agencies such as schools - dealing with children about the impacted - the Courts Services and the guards".

"That all of these agencies can take very practical steps which can have very profound benefits for families that are facing a very, very difficult situation" he added.