Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Scott Arthur (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 January 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 January 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve pre-release planning to ensure that prison leavers do not become homeless or sleep rough following release.

Answer

We are committed to ensuring that robust pre-release plans are created for those leaving custody, so that accommodation needs are identified early and the right support is put in place. Dedicated Pre-Release Teams in prisons work closely with individuals to identify immediate needs, coordinate referrals to relevant services, and support continuity between custody and the community.

In the National Plan to End Homelessness, the Government has committed to reduce the proportion of people released from prison homeless by 50% by the end of this parliament. 50 prison-based Strategic Housing Specialists (SHS) across England and Wales work with probation teams and Local Authorities to enable a multi-agency approach to securing housing before release, including by establishing pre-release accommodation panels with appropriate Local Authorities. We are also investing in integrating digital community accommodation services to make it easier to identify and match individuals to the right housing-related support at the right time.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
104033
Session
2024-26
Related items
A National Plan to End Homelessness
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Homelessness Prisoners' release
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk