Advertisement
Christmas Special - Get your first 12 issues for just £12
SUBSCRIBE
Social Justice

End Friday releases for prisoners so they can access housing and health services, Big Issue founder tells Lords

With reoffending rates for adults released on a Friday higher than for any other day of the week, an unlucky release date puts some ex-convicts at a disadvantage

Illustration of a person bending bars

Image: Shutterstock

Prisoners released on a Friday have just a few hours to secure a bed for the night, but a new law could see them free to go up to two days early, giving them precious time to get set up for a life on the outside. 

With many essential support services, such as local authority housing, substance misuse support or mental health services closed at weekends and bank holidays, those released on a Friday face an extra set back that could leave them homeless their first night out of prison. 

Those released on a Friday “struggle to get the essential support they need on release to keep them away from crime in those first few delicate and crucial days out of custody,” Lord Bird told the House of Lords as the bill reaches its second reading.

If passed, the Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill would allow an ex-convicts’s release date would be brought forward up to two days if falls on a Friday or the day before a bank or public holiday.

“By removing the barriers that a Friday release can bring, we can ensure that custody-leavers have a better chance to access the support they need to reintegrate into the community so that victims and the public are protected,” Lord Bird continued. 

Around a third of all prisoners are released on a Friday, with the reoffending rate for adults released on a Friday is higher than for any other day of the week. Former prisoners living in safe accommodation are around 50 per cent less re-offend.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“Too many women are being released from prison into homelessness, running the risk of reoffending to get through the weekend,” said Lizzy Jewell, head of communications at Working Chance. “[This] bill will ensure that people leaving prison can get the support they need promptly, giving them the best chance to restart their lives and move away from the criminal justice system,” she continued.

Brought to parliament by Tory MP Simon Fell, the government has backed the bill, saying it will lead to “hundreds of crimes [being] prevented in [a] boost to public safety”.

Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription

Commenting on the bill, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: “Protecting the public is my top priority and we know access to housing, job support and substance misuse services are crucial in helping ex-offenders stay on the straight and narrow. By ending Friday releases for certain prisoners we will reduce reoffending and cut crime, making our communities safer.”

People with convictions already face a host of barriers when seeking to rejoin society after time in prison, including prejudice from potential employers who can withdraw a job offer if the application has a criminal record. However, many companies are starting to become more aware of the benefits of hiring a diverse workforce with a range of experiences and backgrounds.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? We want to hear from you. Get in touch and tell us more.

Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

View all
'I'm furious': UK's 'rushed' rollout of digital eVisas risks creating another Windrush scandal
Immigration

'I'm furious': UK's 'rushed' rollout of digital eVisas risks creating another Windrush scandal

'It's an invasion of privacy': Single mum left 'mortified' after DWP scrutinises her bank account
leonie berman
Universal credit

'It's an invasion of privacy': Single mum left 'mortified' after DWP scrutinises her bank account

'Where's the compassion?': Council refuses to give 11-year-old boy his father's ashes after funeral
Funeral poverty

'Where's the compassion?': Council refuses to give 11-year-old boy his father's ashes after funeral

DWP benefit reforms to get people into work are 'smokescreen for cuts', disability activist says
dwp secretary liz kendall
Disability benefits

DWP benefit reforms to get people into work are 'smokescreen for cuts', disability activist says

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know