Thangam Debbonaire
MP for Bristol West
Shadow Secretary of State for Housing and Homelessness
I am pleased that Horfield Prison in my constituency is one of 10 prisons across the UK trialling a new programme to help prevent ex-offenders from becoming homeless when they leave.
I asked Prisons Minister Rory Stewart how this will be rolled out to the other 110 prisons across the country. This is important – prison leavers are much more likely to become homeless than the general population.
One study of single homeless people found that 41% of them had spent some time in prison. The links between prison and homelessness are complex, but we should do more to help ex-offenders get back on their feet after completing their sentences.