Charities and probation staff warn early prison releases risk street homelessness
Charities and probation staff have warned that prisoners being released early in England and Wales are at risk of ending up sleeping rough, according to the Guardian.
Hundreds of prisoners are being released early to ease overcrowding in prisons, and a further round of releases is scheduled for 10 November. Tania Bassett of Napo, the union for probation staff, said most housing options were already full after the early releases in October.
Prisoners in England and Wales are supposed to be found suitable accommodation before they leave custody. Prisons and the probation service also have a duty to refer offenders at risk of homelessness to a local council. In October, probation officers warned of a shortage of hostel places for 2,000 prisoners due to be released over the following month.
Pact, the Prison Advice and Care Trust, has analysed release figures. Its analysis found that the number of prisoners released into rough sleeping, meaning sleeping outdoors or in places not meant for housing, rose by 130% in three years, from 6,040 in 2022-23 to 14,360 in 2025-26. Andy Keen-Downs is the charity's chief executive.
Rough sleeping is now recorded in about one in seven prison releases, compared with around one in 10 three years ago. The share of releases recorded as "no fixed abode", meaning no settled address, rose from 11.3% to 15.9% over the same period.
The Inspectorate of Prisons has reported that many prisons still release between 20% and 30% of prisoners without a settled address, a figure cited in the House of Lords in July.
The government has introduced a presumption of electronic tagging for offenders released early, which makes electronic monitoring the default position for that group.
Separately, Andy Burnham has a plan to try to end rough sleeping in England by Christmas. Rough sleepers are to be offered housing under the plan, which has been likened to the "Everyone In" initiative launched during the pandemic. The Prime Minister has expressed confidence that everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the street before Christmas, and funding for that pledge is set to double. Phase one funding is £340 million, covering three years of a five-year programme.
