‘PRISON BEATS STAYING IN HOMELESS HOSTEL’
HALF of the men released from HMP Cardiff have nowhere to stay when they are released and many will deliberately reoffend in order to be sent back to prison.
That’s one of the findings of the latest report by an independent board which monitors HMP Cardiff.
The Independent Monitoring Board found that men are being released from the city’s prison without anywhere to sleep that night and no hope of finding accommodation. Many admit the only way they can get regular meals and not be on the streets is to reoffend.
Of 23 men interviewed on the day of their release, only 13 had a definite place to sleep that night. There was then further monitoring and a pattern emerged where half of those being released each day had no accommodation to go to.
One man was released and left with a travel warrant to Coventry, 44p in his pocket and nowhere to sleep that night, the report says.
Appointments were made for the men to make a housing application, but “there was a clear expectation that none would be offered”.
During the winter, there was “great concern” about the cold weather people were being released into.
Even those who said they had a place to stay were relying on a friend or relative’s sofa or temporary hostel accommodation.
However, many told the board they expected to be sent to Huggard, a hostel in Cardiff city centre – something they feared.
The report said: “There was a general expectation held by men without accommodation that they would be sent to the Huggard Centre hostel. A number of men expressed fears in relation to the hostel, citing being pressurised into taking drugs, facing violence or having possessions stolen.”
Welsh Government statistics for 2016-17 showed 12% of those who were homeless said their reason was due to leaving prison.
The report, which covers the year to the end of August 2018, reads: “The lack of accommodation on release was a significant factor in reoffending.
“Many men were quite clear that they would soon return to prison, some after deliberately offending, in order to gain accommodation and regular meals in the prison. It was also the view of St Giles [Trust] staff that the lack of accommodation was a major factor in reoffending, with up to a third of the men in the prison seeking help to find accommodation on release at any one time.”
A meeting is now being arranged between the Assembly and the board.
Richard Edwards, chief executive of Huggard, said that temporary accommodation should not be used for someone who has been told their release date.
He said: “Emergency accommodation should not be used when someone is released from prison. Emergency overnight accommodation is meant to be a respite from rough sleeping while suitable accommodation is found. Planned release from prison should incorporate a planned housing solution.
“In response to the stated fears, these are often unfounded. While Huggard works with individuals with complex issues, including having a history of offending behaviour and substance misuse issues, we have a high level of both support and security staff on duty all night ensuring client safety. We have CCTV coverage of all communal areas to protect clients. We also provide a safe place for clients to store valuables to prevent theft when sleeping in a communal environment.”
Board chairwoman Jaci Rankmore said: “Although our report includes some serious concerns, we have seen some very positive developments within the prison since our last report.
“Settled accommodation is a key factor in rehabilitation and preventing reoffending. We undertook sampling and a high proportion of men being released on a given day had no accommodation to go to and this was happening during an extremely cold winter.
“We want to emphasise, however, that despite our concerns, these could have been much more serious without the commitment and hard work of staff and management.”