Homelessness and rough sleeping: are Welsh prison leavers at greater risk?

• Watch Parliament live: Prisons in Wales
• Inquiry: Prisons in Wales

Many prisoners face significant problems accessing housing when they leave custody. The Committee has heard first-hand from prisoners in HMP Cardiff that accommodation can be unsuitable for those in recovery from alcohol and substance misuse, short-term or even nonexistent. This was also highlighted in a 2023 inspection of HMP Swansea, which found that a third of prisoners were either homeless or in transient accommodation on their first night of release.

As part of the Committee’s inquiry, the Director of Criminal Justice and Women’s Services Development at the St Giles Trust told the Committee in March that poor quality accommodation could return prison leavers to “environments that make them additionally vulnerable.”

MPs are likely to ask witnesses about the issues those leaving prison in Wales face when they try to secure accommodation, what kind of support is available, and whether the quality of available housing means it is unsuitable for rehabilitation.

They may also ask whether initiatives introduced since 2019 – such as expanding the number of Housing Advisors – have improved the situation, and whether some prisons and local authorities are more successful in finding suitable housing for leavers than others.

Witnesses

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 10.00, Committee Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Panel one:

• Chloe Marshall, Nacro Wales Operations Manager, Nacro
• Katie Dalton, Director, Cymorth Cymru

Panel two:

• Stephanie Rogers-Lewis, Operational Manager for Housing Need, Cardiff Council
• Tracy Hague, Head of Service (Housing), Wrexham County Borough Council
• Liza Ridge, Housing Options and Allocations Lead, Wrexham County Borough Council

Further information

• Welsh Affairs Committee
• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image credit: HMPPS