More housing advice centres are needed in prisons to prevent people reoffending after their release, according to St Mungo’s
The homelessness charity said the £37,000 cost of imprisoning one person for 12 months would be better spent on providing housing advice. Research by the government’s social exclusion unit research found prisoners were two-and-a-half times more likely to reoffend if released without a home.

St Mungo’s has been operating an advice centre in Pentonville Prison, London, for a year. The centre has helped house more than 250 people and given advice to a further 1000. The centre achieved a 98% take-up rate for housing referrals by accompanying prisoners on the day they were released.

Source

Housing Today