Leaving women’s jail? Here’s a tent to live in

WOMEN have been given tents when they were released from prison with nowhere to go, a watchdog has revealed.

The disclosure was made following an inspection into HMP Bronzefield in West London.

A report said two women were given tents, while sleeping bags had also been handed out amid a shortage in available housing.

The number of women leaving the jail with settled accommodation had dropped from 95.5 per cent in 2014 to 83.7 per cent in 2015.

In the six months prior to the inspec- tion, 103 had left with no fixed address, according to the report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

It added: “The prison had issued tents to two women who were released without anywhere to go to and the chaplaincy often gave out sleeping bags.”

The lack of social housing stock in the southeast and local authority housing department’s frequent downgrading of ex-offenders to “low priority” were cited as “contributory factors” by the prison, according to the report.

Factors outside the control of the prison were resulting in too many women being released without settled accommodation, said the watchdog.

Inmates cannot be held in prison beyond the end of their sentence.

Overall, the inspection concluded that Bronzefield was well-led, with committed staff and had continued to improve.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “While we work extremely closely with each offender before and after release to give them the support they need to find accommodation, the responsibility for making sure there is housing available ultimately lies with the local authority.”