Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on support for prison leavers at risk of homelessness during the next three months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Ministry of Justice ministers meet regularly with a range of ministers across Government to discuss issues impacting prison leavers, including homelessness.
As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice secured £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on to permanent accommodation. The scheme initially ran between 18th May and 31st August and provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual. In light of the recent introduction of national restrictions across England from Thursday 5th November and the Welsh Government’s introduction of a ‘firebreak’, the Government has reinstated this accommodation support. This started from 22nd October 2020 and will be subject to monthly reviews.
The Ministry of Justice, through Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), has also set up seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison; these taskforces continue to be active.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the definition is of settled accommodation for the purposes of recording the accommodation circumstance of prisoners released from custody.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
“Settled accommodation” is defined as:
(i) any accommodation that provides a permanent independent housing solution including as owner occupier; tenant in a tenancy available for a minimum 3 month period; living as part of a family where the Applicable Person is able to reside in that home permanently and is able to return to that home; living with a friend with a bedroom available for the Applicable Person’s use and access to domestic facilities; a caravan or boat that is viewed by the Applicable Person as his permanent home;
(ii) supported housing provided by an accredited housing agency that is provided for a minimum 3 month period and includes support for the Applicable Person in relation to moving to a permanent independent housing solution Statistics for the definition of settled accommodation can be found at the following link:
While some data for the period after 31 March 2020 has been released ahead of publication (in recognition of the public interest in making information available in relation to the operation of the additional accommodation support scheme, which ended on 31 August), it is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to provide the detailed breakdown requested for the period specified, ahead of the planned publication schedule. The statistics with associated breakdowns requested are officially scheduled for release in July 2021.
We recognise that accommodation is a key priority, as it is often the first step in an individual’s resettlement journey. We continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to prevent homelessness and help offenders turn their backs on crime.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released into (a) settled accommodation, (b) bail/probation accommodation, (c) rough sleeping, (d) other homeless circumstances, (e) other unsettled accommodation and (f) unknown accommodation circumstances in (i) each region in England and (ii) Wales, since 23 March 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
“Settled accommodation” is defined as:
(i) any accommodation that provides a permanent independent housing solution including as owner occupier; tenant in a tenancy available for a minimum 3 month period; living as part of a family where the Applicable Person is able to reside in that home permanently and is able to return to that home; living with a friend with a bedroom available for the Applicable Person’s use and access to domestic facilities; a caravan or boat that is viewed by the Applicable Person as his permanent home;
(ii) supported housing provided by an accredited housing agency that is provided for a minimum 3 month period and includes support for the Applicable Person in relation to moving to a permanent independent housing solution Statistics for the definition of settled accommodation can be found at the following link:
While some data for the period after 31 March 2020 has been released ahead of publication (in recognition of the public interest in making information available in relation to the operation of the additional accommodation support scheme, which ended on 31 August), it is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to provide the detailed breakdown requested for the period specified, ahead of the planned publication schedule. The statistics with associated breakdowns requested are officially scheduled for release in July 2021.
We recognise that accommodation is a key priority, as it is often the first step in an individual’s resettlement journey. We continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to prevent homelessness and help offenders turn their backs on crime.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve resettlement for prison leavers.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We have invested an additional £22m per annum over the remaining life of the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts to deliver an enhanced Through the Gate resettlement service preparing offenders for release which includes the requirement that CRCs complete specific tasks to help prisoners to secure and maintain settled accommodation, gain employment, and manage debt and their financial affairs.
The probation reform programme will deliver an enhanced pre-release planning strategy improving the current service for all released from prison, along with access to specialist accommodation providers to reduce the risk of homelessness, and a mentoring provision to support those who struggle with the transition from prison to community to reduce the risk of recalls and build community networks. All National Probation Service (NPS) regions will have a short sentence function providing a multi-agency and responsive approach to sustain existing community links and fast track referrals into new services to improve compliance and outcomes. We will also deliver the existing NPS service-level to all CRC cases under a unified model to increase staff working within the prison service and in the community.
Accommodation pilots in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol prisons have been operating since August 2019 and, subject to evaluation, we will inform future provision of accommodation for offenders, through the new Probation model. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice also secured £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on into permanent accommodation.
Seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces have been set up to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison and these taskforces are still active and we are considering how the these will build on the gains made.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of homelessness among prison leavers of his Department’s accommodation support scheme for those people.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
As of 26 August, a total of 420 individuals who had no pre-existing accommodation have had settled accommodation secured by Homelessness Prevention Taskforces (HPTs). This has included individuals’ own accommodation, local authority sourced accommodation, private rented sector, approved premises, and voluntary sector places. These figures are calculated from management information data provided by regional HPTs, and should be considered as indicative and subject to change as the scheme progresses.
As part of its Covid-19 response, HMPPS set up seven HPTs to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison. The taskforces are still active and HMPPS is considering how to continue the work that they have carried out during the pandemic in the long-term. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice secured up to £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison and help them to move on into permanent accommodation. This scheme commenced in mid-May and concluded on 31 August.
The department aims to track the one-year reoffending rates of individuals enrolled on the scheme when this data is available. Given the need to wait 18 months for an offence to occur and to be proven, and for this to be processed by the courts, this data will not be available until spring/summer 2022. Due to the lack of a suitable counterfactual or control group, this monitoring of outcomes will not constitute an assessment of the impact of the scheme on the rehabilitation or reoffending outcomes of individuals.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) young adult, (b) other female and (c) other male prison leavers were released without an address to go to between 18 July 2020 and 25 August 2020 in (i) each region of of England and (ii) Wales.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The information for 9 June 2020 – 31 July 2020 is provided in the attached. Data for August 2020 is still being compiled and is not yet available.
We continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to prevent homelessness and help offenders turn their backs on crime.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) young adult, (b) other female and (c) other male prison leavers were released without an address to go to between 9 June 2020 and 17 July 2020 in (i) each region of England and (ii) Wales.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The information for 9 June 2020 – 31 July 2020 is provided in the attached. Data for August 2020 is still being compiled and is not yet available.
We continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to prevent homelessness and help offenders turn their backs on crime.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on good practice for local authority housing officers responding to duties to refer under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 from prisons, young offender institutions, secure training centres, secure colleges, youth offending teams, and probation services.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Everyone leaving prison should have somewhere safe and secure to live; accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them reoffending
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 Ministry of Justice cannot do in isolation and we will work together with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Welsh Government and Other Government Departments, to address this issue, ensuring an effective contribution towards the Governments goal to eliminate rough sleeping by the end of the current Parliament.
As part of its COVID-19 response, HMPPS set up seven Homelessness Prevention Taskforces to work with local authorities and other partners to find accommodation for offenders released from prison. The taskforces are still active and HMPPS is considering how to continue the work that they have carried out during the pandemic in the long-term.
MHCLG are currently undertaking a review of the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA), including the resourcing of it and how it is working in practice, this includes looking at the duty to refer. This review will include evidence from several local authorities and charities on their experiences of the act and where they believe there is space for improvement.
HMPPS recently completed a review of its own referral process and has refreshed the supporting policy framework as well as undertaking a series of training events in conjunction with the National Homelessness Advice Service, to broaden awareness, knowledge and improving our referral processes. Lessons learnt from the HMPPS internal review will feed into the wider MHCLG review.
The HRA is helping more people to get help earlier, particularly single people who often would not have received help in the past and would have been at risk of sleeping on our streets. Since the introduction of the Act, over 100,000 households whose relief duty ended, were helped to find accommodation for six+ months.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July to Question 76655, whether the accommodation support scheme for prison leavers was extended beyond 31 July 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
As the Honourable Member is aware, the Government exceptionally allocated funding of up to £8.5m to provide accommodation for those released from prison who were at risk of homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. This emergency funding was available for a limited time and initially ran from 18 May until 31 July. Having kept the operation of the scheme under review, it was agreed to extend it past the 31 July to the 31 August as the public health and public protection risks warranted it. The scheme has now concluded but may recommence if future public health and public protection risks require it.
We continue to work with councils and charities to secure suitable accommodation, while investigating long-term solutions to help offenders turn their backs on crime and to prevent homelessness.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2020 to Question 61688, if his Department will extend the accommodation support scheme for prison leavers beyond 31 July 2020.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government has exceptionally secured funding of up to £8.5m to provide accommodation for those released from prison, who are at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 period. This emergency funding is available for a time-limited period to support this process. The temporary accommodation scheme initially ran from 18 May until 26 June at which point it was reviewed and the decision taken to extend to the 31July. We will continue to keep the operation of the scheme under review and extend it past the 31 July if the public health and public protection risks warrant it.
This project will help ensure vulnerable ex-offenders at risk of homelessness will get the vital support they need to stay safe during the COVID-19 period and find suitable accommodation and continue their rehabilitation during the pandemic. This will help improve outcomes for ex-offenders and increase the chances of seeing fewer victims of crime in the future.