This is one of the main recommendations made by the DTLR's Social Exclusion Unit in a report due to be published later this month. It is understood to propose that housing benefits be paid for up to six months to retain tenancies for prisoners upon their release. Current law states that, once convicted and sentenced, a prisoner can only continue to receive housing benefit if their time behind bars does not exceed 13 weeks.
A spokeswoman for the Social Exclusion Unit said: "There is a report which will be published in late June and there will be a section on housing that makes recommendations concerning reducing the reoffending rates of ex-prisoners."
Other proposals include increasing the amount of money given to ex-offenders when they leave prison from £46.75 for over-25s and £37 for under-25s to £100 across the board.
Prisons have no legal obligation to help prisoners of no fixed abode once they leave jail – it is usually up to charities such as St Mungo's, based at Pentonville prison in north London, to help ex-convicts get temporary accommodation.
Many housing associations have also largely proved unwilling to help and no statutory provisions exist to allow a quota of homes to be provided for ex-prisoners.
Research has found that prisoners who have no home to go to on release are six times more likely to reoffend. Dominic Raffo, homelessness prevention coordinator for St Mungo's, said: "The systems and procedures required to secure accommodation and deal with problems surrounding a tenancy can be a massive burden for people in prison.
"If that is taken care of, it can make the completion of a sentence easier and can give prisoners confidence in themselves to make a better choice in their lives next time. People do not feel they have a choice if they go straight back onto the streets."
Source
Housing Today
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