The AVID Handbook
Are you supporting someone held in immigration detention or want to know more about detention in the UK? Whether you are in detention; a new or an experienced visitor; an organisation working on detention issues; or simply want access to the latest, accurate information in an easily accessible format - then the AVID Handbook for Visitors is for you.
Packed with information on visiting skills, along with technical and practical information, the Handbook is a vital resource for anyone who wants to know more about immigration detention in the UK.
Completely revised and updated, this edition is available for the first time in an open-source digital format. It is jam-packed with resources, guidance, information, tips and tools, in a user friendly format. You can access our handbook here:
Welcome | AVID Visitor Handbook (gitbook.io)
It is the only publication of its kind and will be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about immigration detention in the UK.
About the AVID Handbook
The AVID Handbook for Visitors has been produced by AVID since 1995. The need for the handbook was first identified by members of the Winchester Action Group for Asylum Seekers who wanted to assist visitors and visitors groups to expand their support in more places of detention. A handbook ‘working party’ was formed of members of other visitors groups, as well as the Jesuit Refugee Service and Detention Advisory Service. This provided the very first edition.
I (asked him) looking at things from (a person in detention) point of view, and what a detainee might want from a visitor, and that was incorporated into the first handbook… Non-judgmental, well-informed, listening and understanding.. and being truthful, certainly being truthful and being consistent as well.
Audrey Atter, Founding Member of AVID
Our aim in producing the handbook is to ensure that all visitors to places of detention have access to the information they need to stand alongside people in detention. This means that over the year the handbook has been revised and developed to best meet the needs of volunteer visitors.
About this version
For the first time, we are making our handbook available as an open-source online version. By making our handbook open source we hope to:
- Grow direct contact with volunteer visitors in the AVID network and make information more accessible by directly linking to the handbook from our website, with no login required.
- Ensure that visitors and AVID members have access to accurate information that is kept up to date as changes to legislation and detention policy happen, responding to the rapidly changing nature of detention policy and practice.
- Ensure that communities who are impacted by detention outside of the AVID network, including families and friends, people in and before detention, solidarity groups working with people without a regular immigration status in the community and other NGOs, have access to accurate information on detention.
The AVID handbook is the only publication of its kind and represents our thirty-year plus collective knowledge base on immigration detention. Since the handbook was first published, increasingly punitive measures targeting immigrant communities have seen the use of immigration detention normalised as a tool of migration management. In this context, this knowledge is more vital than ever, and we are committed to making it available to all of those advocating for migrant justice.
The handbook is designed to compliment additional support provided by AVID to visitor groups. If you are using this handbook as a visitor group to people in detention and are not part of the AVID network, we encourage you to contact us about joining and additional 1:1 support.
Support us to continue to develop the handbook
If you find the handbook useful and want to offer your support, please contact us to provide your feedback on how we can improve the handbook, what is missing or what else is needed.
We also welcome any donation to AVID which will support us to cover our costs in developing this handbook.
