A quarter of inmates leave jail homeless - report

A report into HMP Norwich praises staff but says they are challenged by conditions in the jail

About 25% of male prisoners released from a jail in a county find themselves homeless, according to a report.

The Independent Monitoring Board's (IMB) annual report into HMP Norwich said: "The good work of the reducing reoffending team has been undermined by the lack of available accommodation for men on release."

Nacro, a social justice charity, said the figures exposed "a prison system in crisis".

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said "any offenders at risk of homelessness on release are eligible for up to 12 weeks of basic accommodation while they find a permanent home to reduce the chance of them reoffending".

HMP Norwich holds up to 555 male offenders, including young adults, and its open prison, Britannia House, accommodates 43 people who work in the local community.

Concerns have been raised about the higher than average number of prisoners leaving jail ending up homeless

As well as a lack of homes for released prisoners, the IMB found the presence of alcohol, drugs and other banned items at the prison was creating a "potentially dangerous environment" for both prisoners and prison staff.

It added that "a lack of effective perimeter prison security measures" made the issue of violence a challenge to resolve.

An MOJ spokesperson said it was investing £40m nationally in new security to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars.

"This includes completely overhauling CCTV at HMP Norwich," they added.

The IMB also said a failing infrastructure was also "undermining the positive rehabilitation work" being carried out by prison staff.

Some of the prison's Victorian buildings were in a poor state of repair, with leaking roofs and boilers breaking down during the winter, which led to prisoners requiring extra blankets and sleeping in their clothes to keep warm.

The IMB added despite staff shortages and challenging conditions, staff continued to "work hard and remain committed to providing a humane environment for prisoners".

The IMB Norwich chair said: "Despite the efforts of staff at HMP/YOI Norwich, improving outcomes for prisoners without significant investment being made in the infrastructure of the building and the availability of accommodation on release is challenging."

One of the report's findings expressed a concern about the level of banned items fuelling violence in the jail

Helen Dyson, the interim chief executive at Nacro, said: "This report exposes a prison system in crisis.

"While we commend the dedication of staff working under immense pressure, the scale of the issues faced by the prison system cannot be underestimated.

"Overcrowding, violence, and poor conditions make rehabilitation virtually impossible.

"In January, 25% of men left HMP Norwich homeless - well above the national average of 16%."

The charity said people were twice as likely to commit further offences if they were released from prison homeless.

Nacro said it acknowledged more funding had been given by the government to house people leaving prison but called for more to be done.

St Martins, a homeless charity in Norwich which helps people leaving jail, said it reviews figures quarterly and had not observed any dramatic change in numbers needing accommodation.