Housing Support for Women in the Justice System

Lilly Lewis, Women’s Involvement Advisor, One Small Thing

In the next in her series of blogs, our Women’s Involvement Advisor explores the challenges of accessing housing for justice involved women. A report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons in 2022 found that 65% of women were leaving Bronzefield, the largest women’s prison in the UK, without safe and sustainable accommodation. In this blog, Lilly discusses what impact the lack of safe and appropriate housing can have for women and their children, and what needs to change to better support justice involved women into housing.

Most women leaving prison if they have no family or friends to move in with will leave homeless. Often upon leaving reception, if you are lucky, you would be given a tent. For women who have committed violent crimes they will have to go to approved premises. This may be women only or could be mixed where the ratio of women to men is very small.

If you are unfortunate enough to be remanded to custody, once 13 weeks has passed you would lose your property and be made homeless. I have also known women who have not been able to go back to their housing association as they are classed as having antisocial behaviour due to having a criminal conviction. They are also unable to get council houses. Remanding women longer than 13 weeks is actually making them homeless.

There is a big lack of housing support - whilst I was in custody I did have a meeting with a housing advisor, although he was happy to look on Google for properties for me, these would always be private let. I do not recall any woman getting a home from support at prison.

The impact of not getting housed on release from prison can increase your licence conditions and force you into mixed hostels, bed and breakfast or approved premises. Not having housing would most definitely impact on you getting your children back if they were in care.  I can't imagine being able to get a job whilst homeless and this also impacts you signing up for benefits. The risk of recall is increased if homeless as being able to keep up with appointments with probation becomes very difficult. If you require a doctor for prescriptions doing this homeless it's also difficult. A report from HMIP found that 65% of women that are released from HMP Bronzefield are released homeless.

Changes are definitely needed to improve women’s access to housing, such as not remanding people so they don't lose their homes initially, and more dedicated people who source homes for women in the Justice system.

The standard of housing women and children can access is extremely limited with hundreds of people bidding for the same property. Lots of these properties are in disrepair. Damp and poor repair properties are being highlighted, especially in Rochdale following the sad death of two-year-old Awasb Ishak. Rightly these do not make suitable homes to house anybody. This then creates less homes available for women and children. This could lead to women staying with abusive partners.  

Temporary housing placements are few and far between with limited housing leaving no security for women and their children. Any type of antisocial behaviour, drug misuse, mental health problems can see a woman being evicted, forcing her back to abusive partners or the risk of being housed in bed and breakfast or hostels. These are often mixed with men and women and are not ideal for families.

The lack of safe or appropriate housing can lead to women turning to criminal activity to try to access private housing. In view of the cost-of-living crisis alone we are seeing an increase of women being affected by the criminal justice system. I feel we will see an increase in women committing low-level crime just to keep feeding their families and to maintain a tenancy.

Written by: Lilly Lewis, Women’s Involvement Advisor at One Small Thing