When people are released from prison, it’s commonly thought that they’re released to “go home”, but for many prisoners, it may not be quite so straightforward as they may not have a home to go to. Research from UNSW Sydney highlights how post-release housing assistance can be crucial in stopping people from becoming homeless upon release, and often from re-offending again soon after.
Indeed, the study found that when people are offered public housing, they’re much less likely to re-offend than if they’re only given private rental assistance, which makes the intervention extremely good value for money.
Incarceration and homelessness
The researchers cite strong evidence connecting incarceration and homelessness, with the lack of housing upon release a strong predictor of reoffending. Meanwhile, prior incarceration is also a strong predictor of homelessness, which creates a vicious cycle.
The authors argue that prisoners often have a range of complex needs that can deem them too challenging for community-based support, which can result in them becoming entangled in the criminal justice system. The researchers estimate that less than half of ex-prisoners expect to go to their own homes upon release, with the other half expecting to have to rely on short-term or emergency accommodation.
It’s perhaps no surprise that ex-prisoners have become among the fastest-growing group for homelessness services. The research underlines how important it is for this situation to change.
Preventing re-offending
The researchers analyzed data on people with a range of complex support needs who had served time in prison in New South Wales. The data showed the contact people had with various agencies in the area before and after prison.
The data allowed the researchers to compare over 600 people who had received public housing support after prison with a similar number who were eligible but didn’t receive such support.
The results show that across a range of measures, those who had received public housing support had much better outcomes after their release from prison. For instance, police incidents for those with public housing support were found to fall by 8.9% per year, compared to a rising trend for those with merely private rental assistance.
Similarly, positive outcomes were seen in terms of court appearances, time in custody, and overall justice costs per person. When the researchers put a dollar value on these results, they found that providing public housing is around $5,000 less costly than providing private rental support, and around $35,000 more effective than assisting via homelessness services.
Of course, in many countries around the world, the supply of public housing is extremely limited, and indeed the data showed that the average time between release and public housing was about five years. Indeed, for many, there was a sense that upon release the system was discharging any responsibility for people, who were left to very much fend for themselves.
The matter is often compounded by the lack of planning for the person’s eventual release, with last-minute requests for housing on the day of release the norm. This typically results in a series of short-term measures implemented that don’t really do an effective job and keep people in a sense of limbo for prolonged periods of time. Indeed, some even regard returning to prison as a better option as at least they have a roof over their head and don’t have to worry about food and heating.
What’s more, secure and affordable housing is often an anchor for not only finding work but accessing a range of other services that can help people get back on their feet. As such, the authors are adamant that it is an investment that pays off in innumerable ways.
