Response to MoJ announcement
The Safe Homes for Women Leaving Prison initiative responds to today’s announcement of £70 million of investment in accommodation and wider support for prison leavers made by Justice Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP.
Please find our response to this announcement below.
“We have been consistently pressing the Government for action to end the crisis of thousands of vulnerable women being released for prison to homelessness each year with just £46 and a plastic bag. Most recently we presented Ministers with our findings and recommendations report in October last year. We welcome today’s announcement. However, we note that the new temporary accommodation scheme appears to cover only 5 of the 12 probation regions and dedicated staff will only be appointed in eleven prisons. We are keen to know how many of these are women’s prisons, which probation regions will be involved and any further detail about the initiative and its longevity. Too often women are an afterthought so we seek reassurance that women’s specific needs will be addressed as part of this programme and we will be watching it closely.”
“We also emphasise that former prisoners held in temporary accommodation under the scheme need to be helped to find safe and secure permanent accommodation as soon as possible, and will not just return to ‘sofa-surfing’ or other forms of hidden homelessness experienced predominantly by women at the end of an initial period of support. Vulnerable women in particular need safe and secure accommodation where they can recover, achieve rehabilitation and reintegration, and rebuild local and familial connections following their time in prison. Temporary accommodation does not address this need.”
“This issue disproportionately impacts women released from prison, with up to 6 in 10 condemned to homelessness. Therefore we will be urging the Government to ensure that there is specific consideration for women with complex needs so that this group does not fall through the cracks. The risk of female prison leavers becoming homeless in the first instance can be alleviated by measures such as reducing the use of short prison sentence and increasing the provision of suitable social housing. If measures like this are put in place new temporary accommodation for leavers at risk of homelessness would not be necessary. Crucially, we will be urging Government to make sure that this initial move translates into a comprehensive long term national policy which eradicates the discharge of former offenders into homelessness.”