"Prison leavers are given little notice and are left to fend for themselves, with many pushed straight onto the streets", writes Luke Fletcher MS.
This column was published in the Glamorgan Gazette on Thursday 26th September 2024.
Prison leavers are given little notice and are left to fend for themselves, with many pushed straight onto the streets.
On 10th September, the UK Government’s early release scheme for prisoners in England and Wales began, a measure designed to deal with prison overcrowding.
The scheme’s lack of planning and coordination for post-release support has left many vulnerable individuals without housing, employment, or healthcare upon release. Prison leavers are given little notice and are left to fend for themselves, with many pushed straight onto the streets. The scheme has completely overlooked the need for sustainable rehabilitation programmes and reintegration services – it is effectively setting people up to fail. In desperation, some are reoffending or deliberately breaching their license conditions to return to the relative security of prison.
Rebecca Lloyd, CEO of BARC Community Outreach Centre which provides homelessness support services in Bridgend, is witnessing this first-hand on the ground. "We’re seeing people walk from the prisons and onto the streets," Rebecca has informed my office. The vacuum of support is pushing people into desperate situations.
Many are intentionally breaching their release conditions to be sent back to prison, not because of a desire to re-offend, but because they have nowhere else to turn. "They break, they can’t cope, and then deliberately breach the terms of their license," Rebecca explained.
More releases are expected to come in the months ahead as part of the government’s scheme, and as winter looms, the situation is expected to escalate. Without intervention, more people will fall through the cracks. This is why BARC’s work is critical. Without the essential services that they provide, many people forced into homelessness would have nowhere to turn.
Stories like Matthew’s underscore the gravity of BARC’s work. Matthew is battling homelessness and alcoholism, despite still being employed. "It’s hard to work on alcoholism in a tent," he says, but without BARC, he says he wouldn’t be here. Rhys, another BARC client, echoes the sentiment, lamenting the poor public awareness of organisations like BARC. “Places like BARC are not made public by Bridgend Council,” he says.
Both Matthew and Rhys agree that BARC sets the standard for how homeless services should operate, treating people with understanding and compassion. Bridgend County Borough Council, as well as the Welsh and UK Governments must recognise this and fund these critical services.
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