Sixth of prison leavers released into homelessness

One in six prison leavers in London are released into homelessness, according to analysis by the social justice group Nacro, as the Probation Service struggles with what is being dubbed a "chronic workload crisis".

It is part of a wider picture of failing support for people leaving prison, says Kelly Grehan, policy manager at the justice reform charity Revolving Doors.

The government says it is working to reduce prison leaver homelessness and investing in probation services.

Up to 50,000 people in England are so-called "prolific offenders", trapped in cycles of repeated low-level crime, like shoplifting and drug possession, according to the charity.

The majority of those in this group - which costs the criminal justice system an estimated £242m each year - have poor mental health, addiction problems, and are living in poverty or on the streets.

"Services just aren't set up for the complexities these people have," Grehan said, adding that for people coming out of prison, it is quite common to be placed in unsuitable accommodation, "exacerbating these problems".

"Many tell us they were released into hostels where people used drugs, when they'd just managed to get off drugs themselves."

Half the prison population in England and Wales has an identified drug problem, according to a report by the Ministry of Justice.

Anne-Marie - not her real name - was one of them. She was addicted to crack cocaine when she was first sent to prison at 22.

As a care leaver, she lacked family support. She had had her first child at 16, and was pregnant with her second, which made her wary of being open with services about the extent of her addiction.

"I didn't want to tell them the whole story," she said.

She had not been using drugs while she was in prison but, when she was released, was given a place in a probation hostel in Camden, which she described as a "legal crack-house".

"Staff would check on you, but there was no real support and nothing to do."

Boredom was a catastrophic trigger.

"I cut off my tag, used drugs when I was pregnant, and got put back in jail."

Over the next 20 years, she estimates she was sent back to prison nine times, either being recalled or for reoffending.

Now more than four years clean, Anne-Marie says when people come out of prison "they need to be supported every step of the way".

During one of her stints in prison, Anne-Marie got a place in rehab treatment, which she said gave her a taste of what life could look like.

"I thought, 'I don't want this life any more.' Life off drugs looked better."

Tania Bassett is a national official at Napo - the trade union for probation staff. She has been working in the Probation Service for 20 years, and says it is suffering from a "chronic workload crisis".

The early-release scheme - which aims to relieve the prison capacity crisis - will see an influx of an estimated 5,000 people being dealt with by the Probation Service.

"The crisis we have at the moment is going to be exacerbated, and that translates into less prisoner support," Bassett said.

Some Napo members have said they are being told not to spend more than half an hour with each client a week because they have such high caseloads.

"It becomes a tick-box exercise. You don't have time to get to know that individual or for them to trust you," Bassett said.

Officers also suffer from the stress of the knowledge that they are not giving individuals the support they need, and that they might go on to commit serious offences.

"The worst that can happen is someone could die - and that's a big weight to carry on your shoulders."

Lorna's son Steve - not their real names - was sent to prison when he was 19. He came out three years later, in an "awful mental state".

Steve has autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression, but Lorna said he went on to present a range of new mental health issues, because of the trauma he had suffered in prison.

"I didn't know what to do with him," she said.

All of the mental health support Lorna had fought for before Steve's imprisonment had fallen away. She was told he had gone to the back of the queue.

Steve's probation officer assured Lorna they would help him readjust, but her son "wasn't in a position to be helped".

"Probation are there to monitor them, but they don't walk with them hand in hand," she said.

"Families cannot cope; they want to help their loved ones, but they're very much left alone with damaged people."

Within five months of being released, Steve had reoffended and was recalled to prison.

"I asked him why he did it, and he said he just didn't know what to do," Lorna said.

In a response to the BBC's request for comment, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse and a homelessness crisis with rough sleeping having more than doubled since 2010."

They added that the government aimed to halve prison leaver homelessness by 2029, had invested £700m in probation and community services, and announced a national effort to end rough sleeping.