Probation staff warn early release prisoners face rising street homelessness as temporary housing fills
Temporary housing runs out
James was released from prison in August and placed in temporary probation accommodation in Somerset. With that arrangement due to expire in four days, the 37-year-old says he has no place to go.
He has contacted MPs, solicitors, probation and the council, but says he has not found help. James, who has epilepsy and PTSD, says Somerset council denied him temporary accommodation and probation housing also rejected him.
Pressure on probation services
Charities and probation staff warn that prisoners may leave custody into street homelessness, even as Andy Burnham’s plan aims to end rough sleeping in England by Christmas. Hundreds of prisoners are being released early in England and Wales to ease prison overcrowding, and the next tranche is due on 10 November.
Tania Bassett of Napo, the probation staff union, said housing options were already largely full after October’s releases. She said one member had been trying to find accommodation for 10 people released on 1 October, while staff reported feeling overwhelmed.
Tags and rough sleeping data
James wears a GPS tracker that needs daily charging and an alcohol-monitoring tag that must stay connected to a communication device. He said he did not know how to meet those conditions while sleeping rough without reliable electricity or a safe place for the equipment.
Pact analysis found releases into rough sleeping rose 130% over three years, from 6,040 in 2022-23 to 14,360 in 2025-26. Rough sleeping was recorded in about one in seven prison releases, while releases recorded as “no fixed abode” rose from 11.3% to 15.9%.
Calls for more support
Pact chief executive Andy Keen-Downs said people were returning to prison after missing probation appointments because they had been sleeping rough. He welcomed Burnham’s plans and £874m funding boost, but described the lack of money for post-prison support as a “fatal flaw”.
Nacro chief executive Enver Solomon said a prison he visited aimed to have 84% of prisoners housed on release, effectively accepting that 16% would be homeless. Somerset council said it had a statutory duty to assess people who are homeless or at risk and explore suitable accommodation; the government said it was working with councils and charities and cited investment in probation and support for prison leavers.
Key points
- James says his temporary accommodation in Somerset is about to end, leaving him without somewhere to go.
- Probation staff say housing options are strained ahead of another early-release tranche on 10 November.
- Pact found rough sleeping recorded in about one in seven prison releases, up from around one in 10 three years earlier.
- Charities say post-prison housing and support need more funding to help prevent homelessness and returns to custody.