Jail to Street: Record Prisoners Homeless

Analysis shows that in the period between April 2025 and March 2026, nearly one in six people, totaling 15,155, were released from prison in England and Wales without housing. This represents a concerning 18% increase from the previous year and is the highest rate recorded in five years. The proportion of prison leavers released into homelessness has steadily climbed annually, reaching 15.9% this year from 10.6% in 2021-22.

This escalating homelessness among ex-offenders poses a significant challenge to government commitments to end rough sleeping. Experts emphasize that secure housing is a crucial foundation for reducing reoffending, noting that three in four individuals released to rough sleeping reoffend within a year, significantly higher than those with accommodation. The total number of individuals released from prison is rising, partly due to early release schemes, but the rate of those released into homelessness is outpacing this increase.

Regional disparities are evident, with south-central England reporting the highest rate of homelessness upon release at 20.7%. Conversely, Wales has the lowest rate at 11.1%. Reports indicate that inadequate housing planning, prisoners released directly from court without services, and short sentences complicate housing arrangements. Furthermore, insufficient training for housing staff and fragmented support have been cited as contributing factors to substandard accommodation for prisoners.