From Prison To Homeless On The Streets

Homeless ex-prisoners are significantly more likely to reoffend than those living in housing, in what charities have described as a “merry-go-round” in which people are “swept into prison and then dumped back on to the streets”.

Data obtained from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) under a freedom of information request showed that out of all adult prisoners released in 2016, 67% of those who slept rough or were otherwise homeless went on to commit another crime within a year, reports The Guardian. For those living in “unsettled” or temporary accommodation, the rate of reoffending was also higher, at 54%, compared with 43% for those who had either a permanent home or short-term supported housing.

Andrew Neilson, the campaigns lead at the Howard League for Penal Reform charity, described accommodation as integral to “staying on the straight and narrow”, alongside employment and support from family members or friends. “Prisons are being used for people who are too poor and too fragile to sort their lives out,” he said. “But instead of us providing support, we’re spending billions each year policing them, criminalising them and incarcerating them.”

Matt Downie, the director of policy at the homelessness charity Crisis, said: “It really is a predictable and cyclical problem where really the answer is just to make sure that people have accommodation and support. That would save the prison estate time and money, it would certainly save society the problems of criminal behaviour and for individuals caught up in that, we’d have a chance of resolving their issues and resolving their homelessness for good.”

In 2016, 27, 209 adult offenders released from custody were recorded as having settled accommodation, while 4,632 were recorded as homeless and 2,815 recorded as having “unsettled” accommodation. The accommodation status of a further 24,967 ex-prisoners – of whom 51% reoffended within a year – was not known. This category is likely to be contentious and is thought to also mean sleeping rough or otherwise homeless.

Lindsay Ryder, director of housing and wellbeing at Nacro, said urgent government investment was needed to ensure plans were in place before prisoners left custody. “We cannot afford for them to be held back by homelessness, a lack of essential medication or health support, a lack of ID or access to sufficient money, as these are essential basics required for people to successfully reintegrate back into our local communities,” she added.

A spokesperson for the MoJ said: “The first step to reducing reoffending is making sure everyone leaving prison has access to secure and stable accommodation. That is why we are spending an extra £22m a year helping offenders stay off the streets, and have placed a new duty on governors to alert councils if someone leaving their prison is at risk of homelessness. We’re also helping vulnerable former prisoners find stable accommodation through a £6m pilot scheme at Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol prisons.”