PRISON REFORM TRUST PRESS RELEASE

10 FEBRUARY 2003
EMBARGOED 00.01 TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2003

‘OUT FOR GOOD’

THE DILEMMAS OF HOUSING EX-PRISONERS

Prison reform campaigners and housing charities are holding a conference today to highlight the need for central and local government to act to ensure that prisoners have access to decent and appropriate housing when they leave prison.

The Out For Good campaign, organised by the Big Issue, Nacro and the Prison Reform Trust, holding a seminar at RIBA for key officials from the housing and criminal justice sectors. The event is designed to identify ways in which social inclusion can be promoted and crime reduced by providing housing for ex-offenders.

Speaking today Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust said:

“We know that stable accommodation can cut re-offending by 20 per cent. This is not surprising as the need to find housing makes it hard to find a job and earn money legitimately. Over three times as many ex-prisoners with an address on release are in paid employment as those without an address.

This is a problem that joined-up government could do something about. Concerted action by local and central government can make a big dent in the one million crimes committed by ex-prisoners each year. Today’s seminar will help to establish an agenda for action.”

Speaking today Paul Cavadino, Chief Executive, Nacro said:

“As one of the leading housing providers working with offenders and ex-offenders, Nacro is delighted to be holding this seminar in partnership with the Prison Reform Trust and the Big Issue. Housing providers have a key role to play in the effective resettlement of prisoners following release from prison. And they have a wealth of experience and knowledge about the practicalities, as well as the pitfalls, of housing ex-prisoners.

Everyone agrees that ensuring prisoners have decent and appropriate housing at the end of their sentences is crucial to their resettlement. There are many examples of good practice, but overall the system is not working as well as it could. I hope that this seminar will contribute towards improved policy and practice in this important area.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Homelessness and unemployment among ex-prisoners

1. Each year, 90,000 prisoners are released in England and Wales.  Of these, around 30,000 will have nowhere to live on release.  This is despite the fact that stable accommodation can reduce reoffending by over 20 per cent. (Social Exclusion Unit, Reducing re-offending by  ex-prisoners,  July 2002)

2.  One third of prisoners were not in permanent accommodation prior to imprisonment.  Around 1 in every 20 prisoners were sleeping rough before they were sent to prison.

3. The majority of prisoners depend on housing benefit to help with their rent before they enter custody.  However, entitlement to Housing Benefit stops for all sentenced prisoners expected to be in prison for more than 13 weeks.  This means that many prisoners have very little chance of keeping their tenancy open until the end of their sentence.

4.  Around a third of prisoners lose their housing as a result of their imprisonment.

5.   The Home Office has found that women prisoners are particularly likely not to have accommodation arranged for their release.  Just 59 per cent of females had accommodation arranged, compared with 77 per cent of young male offenders and 66 per cent of adult males.

6.  The Revolving Doors Agency has found that 49 per cent of prisoners with mental health problems had no fixed address on leaving prison.  Of those who had a secure tenancy before going to prison, 40 per cent lost it on release.

7.  The Big Issue conducted the largest survey of its vendors in 2001.  More than one-third of Big Issue vendors are ex-prisoners.  Only 13 per cent received any form of resettlement advice before their release from prison.

8.   The Government’s Rough Sleepers Unit has also found that few prisoners are given any advice about housing issues while in prison.  This is despite the fact that ex-prisoners thought that housing, along with employment, was fundamental to avoiding re-offending.

9.  A Home Office study recently found that 71 per cent of prisoners with no accommodation arranged on release had not received any housing advice.

10.   Getting ex-prisoners into stable housing can act as a gateway to effective resettlement.  Over three times as many ex-prisoners with an address on release find paid employment as those without an address.  Homelessness can also prevent ex-prisoners from accessing support services such as benefits or registering with a GP.

11.  Over two in three prisoners are unemployed at the time of release – around 13 times the national unemployment rate.  Around two in three of those who do have a job lose it when they enter prison.

12.   Ex-prisoners make up 2-3 per cent of the average monthly inflow to the unemployment total.

13.  The Trade Union Congress has found that: “Helping ex-offenders into jobs is one of the most effective ways of preventing them from re-offending: all of us are less likely to be the victims of crime if we can help ex-offenders into work” ('Employment and ex-offenders', London: Trade Union Congress, 2001).

14.  Prisoners face great difficulties finding employment after release.  Low educational attainment, health problems and a lack of stable housing can make it problematic for prisoners to find a job.