Believing in accessibility for all

Leaving prison

If you are due for release from prison or have recently been released from prison, then you may find your circumstances have changed from prior to your sentence and you now no longer have any long term accommodation available to you.

All prisoners get help preparing for life when they leave prison. In the last few weeks of your sentence, you should have been given advice and support on finding somewhere to live, getting a job and looking after money. Prisoners get additional support if they have abused substances (for example, drugs or alcohol) or have other support needs.

Your immediate accommodation upon release can depend on your individual circumstances and availability of accommodation however we can work with you to secure longer term rehousing.

  • Approved premises

    You may have been moved to an approved premises upon your release as terms of your license or probation. Approved premises act as a half-way house between prison and home with the main purposes being to support your resettlement and rehabilitation, and to support the safety of other people during the initial months of your time in the community.

    Approved premises provide fixed term periods of stay which will depend on your individual circumstances. However, you cannot stay in approved premises indefinitely. Support workers at approved premises should work with you and your probation officer or offender manager to look at options for moving on when your time at the approved premises comes to an end.

    If you are coming to the end of your time at approved premises and need support with finding alternative accommodation, then please contact us.

  • Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS)

    If you are being released on bail, electronic tag or home detention curfew and you have no address to be released to, then you may be referred to BASS by the prison or probation worker for accommodation during your period of monitoring or bail.

    BASS is currently run by the charity NACRO and their support workers will work with you to find stable accommodation for you to move on to as well as offering support with employment, finances and addiction issues.

    If your time at BASS accommodation is coming to an end then please contact us as we can work with you to find longer term accommodation.

  • Hostels

    For some prisoners, resettlement workers will be able to secure hostel accommodation upon their release from prison. Hostel spaces can vary – some provide very short term accommodation whereas others provide much longer pathways with support to help you eventually move into your own long term accommodation.

    If you have been released into hostel accommodation then please contact us. We will be able to talk to you about your current accommodation and the options available to you for longer term rehousing.

  • Friends and family

    Many prisoners will be released to addresses belonging to friends and family. Whilst this is not ideal, it is a short term solution to your housing problem.

    If you have been released to friends and family, then we can work with you to secure longer term accommodation. We may recommend that in the short term, where you are able to continue doing so, you remain staying with friends and family until longer term accommodation is found. Where this is not possible we can talk through the options available to you.

  • Homeless upon release

    Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, some prisoners are released from prison with no accommodation available to them.

    If this has happened to you then please contact us and we will be able to support you.

    We may speak to any friends or family you have to see whether they will let you stay with them whilst we work with you to find longer term accommodation. Where this is not possible we will discuss your options for short term accommodation with you.

    If you have been released from prison on electronic tag or curfew and have no accommodation, then we are limited as to what short term accommodation is available to you.  In that case we would recommend that your first priority should be to contact your Probation Officer, Offender Manager or court to advise them of your situation as they may be able to provide more assistance.