Women leaving prison and access to housing

The Housing Committee has written a series of letters to the Mayor and the House of Commons Justice Committee about access to housing after women leave prison.

The Committee made a series of recommendations including:

• The Mayor's forthcoming Police and Crime Plan recognises that women leaving prison may have a mix of vulnerabilities that puts them at heightened risk of abusive relationships and/or homelessness, and that access to safe and secure homes is a key aspect of rehabilitation following release from prison.

• In the short term, the Mayor should work with the Prison Service to improve administrative processes to ensure that referrals to local authorities are timely, accurate and informative, and to provide women with the facilities (including computers and phone calls) they need to engage with local authorities prior to release.

• The Government should undertake a review of sentencing for women, with particular emphasis on implementing alternatives to short-term sentences.

More details are in the attachments below.