Like many other women across the United Kingdom, my boyfriend was sentenced for a period of 10 years. This has left me, and many like me, isolated and longing for a connection that is deemed vital in any relationship, a physical one.

Many people do not realise the emotional and mental hardship that partners on the outside face, in addition to those serving time inside the walls of prisons. Conjugal visits not only serve as a comfort to inmates but continue the bond on the other side of those steel bars.

Sadly, the UK does not currently allow for conjugal visits in its prison system. This is contrary to places such as Canada, Brazil, Denmark and even Indonesia, where such visits are seen as a primary human right.

Furthermore, studies have shown that maintaining close family ties can drastically improve an inmate's mental health and their overall well-being; leading to a significant reduction in reoffending rates post-release (Prisoners' Families Helpline). Conjugal visits could ultimately prevent social isolation, aid preserve their sense of humanity, and indeed ours.

We ask for understanding, compassion and action. It's time for the UK to revise its prison visitation policies and afford inmates and their sincerest loved ones the right to conjugal visits. Sign this petition today and support better mental health in prisons, lower recidivism rates, and the recognition of these visits as a basic human right.