Remand Prisoners in Housing Need

Thirty-nine per cent of prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing believed they would have housing problems on release, a report from the prisons’ watchdog has found.  An HM Inspectorate of Prisons survey of 4,868 prisoners at 33 local prisons also discovered just 20 per cent on remand said they knew who to contact for help on housing issues when they were released.  The report Remand Prisoners revealed although they were entitled to housing benefit, only 33 per cent of unconvicted prisoners reported that they were asked if they needed help with benefits to help maintain housing when they came into prisons. It also said: ‘Housing providers find it difficult to work with remand prisoners who are homeless. In our groups and in inspections, there were examples of housing services that would not work with unsentenced prisoners.’  Download a copy of the report from the HMIP website.