Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison leavers were homeless in each year since 2010.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Data on accommodation outcomes on the first night of release from custody is published in the Community Performance Annual Statistics. Data is only available from 2017/18 onwards. From this point, accommodation performance metrics were introduced to the probation performance framework with reliable data not available for previous years. The data can be found here: Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We are delivering our ground-breaking transitional accommodation service, known as Community Accommodation Service – Tier 3 (CAS-3), so prison-leavers have a guaranteed 12 weeks of basic, temporary accommodation to provide a stable base on release. By January 2023, the proportion of offenders housed on the first night of their release from custody was 7.6 percentage points higher in CAS3 regions versus non-CAS3 regions.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the homelessness to prison cycle.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy published in September 2022 and published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-for-good), sets out, in section 4.1, how we are delivering our aim that no one should leave prison homeless or to sleep rough.

Since publication of the strategy we have published further allocations for the Accommodation for ex-Offenders scheme up to March 2025, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accommodation-for-ex-offenders-scheme-local-authority-funding-allocations-between-july-2021-and-march-2025

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people subject to short custodial prison sentences do not become homeless upon leaving prison.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

Our Prisons Strategy White Paper sets out our vision that no one who is subject to probation supervision is released from prison homeless.

There will be a Short Sentence Function implemented in all regions by June 2022 who will work with all people on probation with 10 months or less to serve in prison. This will enable them to be fast tracked and offered direct engagement.

All sentenced people (including those on short term sentences) are eligible for support from specialist providers, including accommodation specialists. They will receive support prior to release to address their identified needs, including sustaining tenancies as appropriate.

We have introduced a new provision of temporary accommodation and support for up to 12 weeks after release for prison leavers at risk of homelessness. Initially launched in 5 probation regions, we will expand this service nationally.

In 2021, we also introduced Housing Specialists in twenty prisons, including four women’s prisons, to support prisons and probation in their strategic response to reducing homelessness. We intend to increase these to 48 across England and Wales, including across the women’s estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release of 19 January 2021 on prison leavers, what the evidential basis was for his conclusion that offenders were around 50 per cent more likely to break the law again if released without somewhere to stay.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

In January 2021, we announced a £70 million investment to reduce crime and improve public safety by tackling these key drivers of reoffending. We are investing £50 million to enhance the department’s Approved Premises, provide temporary accommodation to prison leavers at risk of homelessness, and enhance resettlement support for prisoners before and after release. A further £20 million of funding has been allocated for the Prison Leavers Project that will test innovative ways to reduce reoffending by addressing the challenges people face when they are leaving prison. Statutory accounts will be submitted in due course.

Accommodation circumstances for offenders are reported annually as official statistics. Data for the period 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 will be published in July 2022 in the Community Performance Annual report. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, access to these statistics before their public release is limited to those involved in the production of the statistics and the preparation of the release, and for quality assurance and operational purposes.

The thematic inspection report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation on Accommodation and support for adult offenders showed that prison leavers without stable accommodation are almost 50 per cent more likely to reoffend. The report was released in July 2020 and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/inspections/accommodationthematic/.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Bronzefield, published on 16 November 2021, what proportion of sentenced prison leavers from HMP/YOI Bronzefield were released without safe and secure accommodation in (a) February 2020 and (b) July 2021.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The new Commissioned Rehabilitative Services went live on 26 June. HMPPS Contract Managers are overseeing the effective embedding of these new contracts and will robustly monitor the performance of providers. Although we are still in the early days of the new contracted provision, we are committed to ensuring that those within our care, including those in custody, receive the support they need to address their rehabilitative and resettlement needs, including through support into Accommodation.

The Probation Service has a new target of housing 90% of prison leavers following their release. We will monitor outcomes and support prison and probation staff to work effectively with other providers to achieve this target. To support this, we have placed a specific focus on improving the consistency and accuracy of data recorded so housing needs can be identified. This includes a new requirement for ‘Accommodation Planned on Release’ to be recorded three months prior to release, so Community Probation Practitioners and Homelessness Prevention Teams can take proactive steps before release with prison leavers at risk of homelessness, including Referral to Local Housing Authorities and working with partners and providers.

In terms of the proportion of sentenced prison leavers from HMP & YOI Bronzefield aged 18 years and over released without safe and secure accommodation, the proportion for February 2020 was 58.3%. Accommodation outcomes for July 2021 are due to be published as part of the Community Performance series for 2021/22 and Prison Performance Ratings for 2021/22 both due to be released in July 2022.

A direct financial comparison between accommodation and housing support services at HMP & YOI Bronzefield before and after 26 June 2021 is not possible because of differences in the way that accommodation support is now provided. The new model in place from 26 June onwards is based on a specialist provider of Women’s Services offering a holistic service, which includes addressing a wide range of issues women face including meeting their accommodation needs and supporting their transition from custody to community. The previous model made use of accommodation support delivered in the prison which supported women up to the point of release.

Additional resource has been introduced through the new specialist housing advisor role in up to twenty prisons, including HMP & YOI Bronzefield. The new role will strengthen links between prisons, resettlement staff and local authorities to improve accommodation outcomes for those at risk of homelessness.

In relation to HMP & YOI Bronzefield specifically, an additional accommodation support worker is being recruited to provide further support to the significant proportion of women who are released to the London area.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Bronzefield, published on 16 November 2021, what steps he is taking to evaluate the impact of the shift in the model for provision of accommodation support services on (a) rough sleeping, (b) homelessness and (c) housing insecurity for prison leavers.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The new Commissioned Rehabilitative Services went live on 26 June. HMPPS Contract Managers are overseeing the effective embedding of these new contracts and will robustly monitor the performance of providers. Although we are still in the early days of the new contracted provision, we are committed to ensuring that those within our care, including those in custody, receive the support they need to address their rehabilitative and resettlement needs, including through support into Accommodation.

The Probation Service has a new target of housing 90% of prison leavers following their release. We will monitor outcomes and support prison and probation staff to work effectively with other providers to achieve this target. To support this, we have placed a specific focus on improving the consistency and accuracy of data recorded so housing needs can be identified. This includes a new requirement for ‘Accommodation Planned on Release’ to be recorded three months prior to release, so Community Probation Practitioners and Homelessness Prevention Teams can take proactive steps before release with prison leavers at risk of homelessness, including Referral to Local Housing Authorities and working with partners and providers.

In terms of the proportion of sentenced prison leavers from HMP & YOI Bronzefield aged 18 years and over released without safe and secure accommodation, the proportion for February 2020 was 58.3%. Accommodation outcomes for July 2021 are due to be published as part of the Community Performance series for 2021/22 and Prison Performance Ratings for 2021/22 both due to be released in July 2022.

A direct financial comparison between accommodation and housing support services at HMP & YOI Bronzefield before and after 26 June 2021 is not possible because of differences in the way that accommodation support is now provided. The new model in place from 26 June onwards is based on a specialist provider of Women’s Services offering a holistic service, which includes addressing a wide range of issues women face including meeting their accommodation needs and supporting their transition from custody to community. The previous model made use of accommodation support delivered in the prison which supported women up to the point of release.

Additional resource has been introduced through the new specialist housing advisor role in up to twenty prisons, including HMP & YOI Bronzefield. The new role will strengthen links between prisons, resettlement staff and local authorities to improve accommodation outcomes for those at risk of homelessness.

In relation to HMP & YOI Bronzefield specifically, an additional accommodation support worker is being recruited to provide further support to the significant proportion of women who are released to the London area.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Birmingham, published on 3 November 2021, what proportion of prisoners released from HMP Birmingham in a typical year will be ineligible for accommodation on release following the full implementation of the new accommodation contract.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

This government is committed to reducing the risk of homelessness on release from custody. In support of this, the MoJ have published a policy framework which mandates the roles and responsibilities of both prison and probation staff in making effective referrals to Local Authorities in relation to those at risk of homelessness at this critical point.

In relation to immediate releases from Court, where an individual is homeless or at risk of homelessness at the point of sentence, the Probation Service Court Team take steps to ensure that a referral to the Local Housing Authority is undertaken.

In addition, Pre-Release teams working in prisons currently provide a service to those who are unconvicted and this includes identification of immediate resettlement needs on reception, including sustaining tenancies. These teams will remain embedded in all prisons which house those who are unconvicted, including HMP Birmingham, and their role includes planning for a potential release from Court.

Releases from HMP Birmingham of offenders who have received a custodial sentence have been falling from around 2,100 in 2015 and 2016 to 750 in 2020, which was an atypical year impacted by the Covid pandemic.  All of those who are eligible will be supported by the new Accommodation Services commissioned as part of the reforms to the Probation Service. This provision includes pre and post-release support to obtain and sustain tenancies.

A proportion of those released without a custodial sentence will receive a Community Order and therefore will be eligible for the new Accommodation Services support at that point. For those who are released without charge or the case is discontinued, Probation staff in Court will offer advice to the individual on how to make representation to their Local Authority homeless unit.

Information on what proportion of prisoners released from HMP Birmingham in a typical year will be ineligible for accommodation support on release following the full implementation of the new accommodation contract, can only be obtained from individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Access to stable accommodation has been identified as one of the key resettlement pathways to support people address their offending behaviour and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.  Accommodation Services are a key element of Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) Framework, which went live on 26 June 2021. The CRS accommodation contracts provide services for prisoner released under Probation supervision and covers the entire prison estate. We are currently looking into what accommodation and rehabilitative support could additionally be provided to people in prison who are unconvicted and who are at risk of homelessness on release.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Birmingham, published on 3 November 2021, what steps he is taking to prevent immediate releases from court to homelessness.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

This government is committed to reducing the risk of homelessness on release from custody. In support of this, the MoJ have published a policy framework which mandates the roles and responsibilities of both prison and probation staff in making effective referrals to Local Authorities in relation to those at risk of homelessness at this critical point.

In relation to immediate releases from Court, where an individual is homeless or at risk of homelessness at the point of sentence, the Probation Service Court Team take steps to ensure that a referral to the Local Housing Authority is undertaken.

In addition, Pre-Release teams working in prisons currently provide a service to those who are unconvicted and this includes identification of immediate resettlement needs on reception, including sustaining tenancies. These teams will remain embedded in all prisons which house those who are unconvicted, including HMP Birmingham, and their role includes planning for a potential release from Court.

Releases from HMP Birmingham of offenders who have received a custodial sentence have been falling from around 2,100 in 2015 and 2016 to 750 in 2020, which was an atypical year impacted by the Covid pandemic.  All of those who are eligible will be supported by the new Accommodation Services commissioned as part of the reforms to the Probation Service. This provision includes pre and post-release support to obtain and sustain tenancies.

A proportion of those released without a custodial sentence will receive a Community Order and therefore will be eligible for the new Accommodation Services support at that point. For those who are released without charge or the case is discontinued, Probation staff in Court will offer advice to the individual on how to make representation to their Local Authority homeless unit.

Information on what proportion of prisoners released from HMP Birmingham in a typical year will be ineligible for accommodation support on release following the full implementation of the new accommodation contract, can only be obtained from individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Access to stable accommodation has been identified as one of the key resettlement pathways to support people address their offending behaviour and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.  Accommodation Services are a key element of Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) Framework, which went live on 26 June 2021. The CRS accommodation contracts provide services for prisoner released under Probation supervision and covers the entire prison estate. We are currently looking into what accommodation and rehabilitative support could additionally be provided to people in prison who are unconvicted and who are at risk of homelessness on release.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Final Report of The Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, published on 23 September 2021, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in (a) HM Treasury and (b) the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on funding for programmes that increase the supply of accommodation suitable for prison leavers at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

We recognise that offenders face significant barriers to securing suitable accommodation, often linked to their lack of access to necessary funds, availability of local authority housing supply and affordability/access to private rented sector. However, overcoming these barriers is something that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) cannot do in isolation and we work together with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Welsh Government and Other Government Departments, to address this issue.

We welcome the publication of the Kerslake report and will carefully consider the commission’s findings, in collaboration with Other Government Departments and the Welsh Government. We are pleased the report reflects the action the Government took during the pandemic to protect health and reoffending by providing temporary accommodation through both HMPPS’ Covid Emergency Scheme and DLUHC’s Everyone In. This led to the levels of rough sleeping reducing by 37% in the last year and rates of prison leavers released to homelessness reduced by 28% from 2019/20 to 2020/21.

We are committed to focusing efforts on making sure that individuals turn their backs on crime when leaving prison and know having stable accommodation helps rehabilitation and reduces the likelihood of rough sleeping. We understand the concern about the challenges some prisoners can face in accessing services and support in the community upon release, especially when being released on a Friday. That is why we continue to explore how to improve services for those being released. To support this, £20m was invested in the Prison Leavers Project which will test new and innovative ways to reduce reoffending, by addressing the challenges people face when they are leaving prison. This includes a specific focus on day of release to better understand how we can deliver improved outcomes for people leaving prison.

DLUHC Housing First pilots are currently in their 4th year of delivery and their latest figures show that over 1,050 of the most entrenched rough sleepers are being supported on the programme. The combined authorities have adopted a collaborative approach towards delivery, including liaising with agencies such as the probation service. Each client has access to critical wrap-around care, including drugs and alcohol misuse and mental health support. As the pilots continue to progress, they anticipate seeing increasing numbers of vulnerable people with complex needs, including potentially prison leavers, moving into safe and secure homes.

Working together, DLUHC and MoJ have launched two schemes which will help prisons leavers find a settled place to live, through access to MoJ’s temporary Community Accommodation Service (CAS3) in five probation regions and a move into private rented sector accommodation through DLUHC’s £13m Accommodation for Ex-Offender scheme (AfEO).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the recommendations in the final report of The Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, published on 23 September 2021, if he will make an assessment of the progress that has been made on ensuring that prison releases on a Friday take place early in the day.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

We recognise that offenders face significant barriers to securing suitable accommodation, often linked to their lack of access to necessary funds, availability of local authority housing supply and affordability/access to private rented sector. However, overcoming these barriers is something that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) cannot do in isolation and we work together with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Welsh Government and Other Government Departments, to address this issue.

We welcome the publication of the Kerslake report and will carefully consider the commission’s findings, in collaboration with Other Government Departments and the Welsh Government. We are pleased the report reflects the action the Government took during the pandemic to protect health and reoffending by providing temporary accommodation through both HMPPS’ Covid Emergency Scheme and DLUHC’s Everyone In. This led to the levels of rough sleeping reducing by 37% in the last year and rates of prison leavers released to homelessness reduced by 28% from 2019/20 to 2020/21.

We are committed to focusing efforts on making sure that individuals turn their backs on crime when leaving prison and know having stable accommodation helps rehabilitation and reduces the likelihood of rough sleeping. We understand the concern about the challenges some prisoners can face in accessing services and support in the community upon release, especially when being released on a Friday. That is why we continue to explore how to improve services for those being released. To support this, £20m was invested in the Prison Leavers Project which will test new and innovative ways to reduce reoffending, by addressing the challenges people face when they are leaving prison. This includes a specific focus on day of release to better understand how we can deliver improved outcomes for people leaving prison.

DLUHC Housing First pilots are currently in their 4th year of delivery and their latest figures show that over 1,050 of the most entrenched rough sleepers are being supported on the programme. The combined authorities have adopted a collaborative approach towards delivery, including liaising with agencies such as the probation service. Each client has access to critical wrap-around care, including drugs and alcohol misuse and mental health support. As the pilots continue to progress, they anticipate seeing increasing numbers of vulnerable people with complex needs, including potentially prison leavers, moving into safe and secure homes.

Working together, DLUHC and MoJ have launched two schemes which will help prisons leavers find a settled place to live, through access to MoJ’s temporary Community Accommodation Service (CAS3) in five probation regions and a move into private rented sector accommodation through DLUHC’s £13m Accommodation for Ex-Offender scheme (AfEO).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the recommendations in the final report of The Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, published on 23 September 2021, what progress his Department has made on reducing the proportion of prison releases that take place on a Friday.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

We recognise that offenders face significant barriers to securing suitable accommodation, often linked to their lack of access to necessary funds, availability of local authority housing supply and affordability/access to private rented sector. However, overcoming these barriers is something that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) cannot do in isolation and we work together with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Welsh Government and Other Government Departments, to address this issue.

We welcome the publication of the Kerslake report and will carefully consider the commission’s findings, in collaboration with Other Government Departments and the Welsh Government. We are pleased the report reflects the action the Government took during the pandemic to protect health and reoffending by providing temporary accommodation through both HMPPS’ Covid Emergency Scheme and DLUHC’s Everyone In. This led to the levels of rough sleeping reducing by 37% in the last year and rates of prison leavers released to homelessness reduced by 28% from 2019/20 to 2020/21.

We are committed to focusing efforts on making sure that individuals turn their backs on crime when leaving prison and know having stable accommodation helps rehabilitation and reduces the likelihood of rough sleeping. We understand the concern about the challenges some prisoners can face in accessing services and support in the community upon release, especially when being released on a Friday. That is why we continue to explore how to improve services for those being released. To support this, £20m was invested in the Prison Leavers Project which will test new and innovative ways to reduce reoffending, by addressing the challenges people face when they are leaving prison. This includes a specific focus on day of release to better understand how we can deliver improved outcomes for people leaving prison.

DLUHC Housing First pilots are currently in their 4th year of delivery and their latest figures show that over 1,050 of the most entrenched rough sleepers are being supported on the programme. The combined authorities have adopted a collaborative approach towards delivery, including liaising with agencies such as the probation service. Each client has access to critical wrap-around care, including drugs and alcohol misuse and mental health support. As the pilots continue to progress, they anticipate seeing increasing numbers of vulnerable people with complex needs, including potentially prison leavers, moving into safe and secure homes.

Working together, DLUHC and MoJ have launched two schemes which will help prisons leavers find a settled place to live, through access to MoJ’s temporary Community Accommodation Service (CAS3) in five probation regions and a move into private rented sector accommodation through DLUHC’s £13m Accommodation for Ex-Offender scheme (AfEO).