NCJ Number
72370
Journal
British Journal of Social Work Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (1979) Pages: 75-86
Date Published
1979
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Findings from the United Kingdom's Home-Office-sponsored research project in which men discharged from prison were interviewed to determine prearrest and postrelease living accommodations are discussed.
Abstract
The overall aim of the study was to explore the postrelease experiences of a group of men discharged from prison. Specifically, the study was designed to determine how many men were homeless after release. The study sample was drawn from men recently released from three prisons near York and Leeds in Great Britain. Three interviews were conducted with approximately 90 men. The sample was compared on certain dimensions such as age, offense, and length of sentence with a larger comparison group of 316 men discharged from all prisons into Leeds over a similar period. Interview questions concerned living accommodations, family and social networks, employment, income and expenditure, and the use of prison welfare and after-care services. Response analysis indicates that despite the unsatisfactory nature of many of the accommodations before imprisonment, the data on postrelease circumstances show a deterioration. According to the working definition of homelessness; i.e., living in a hostel or bed and breakfast arrangement or living 'rough,' 26.1 percent of the sample were homeless before arrest, 36.6 percent were homeless 2 weeks after release, and 39 percent were homeless upon subsequent interviews. Findings suggest that poor accommodations before arrest and after release were closely associated with a high degree of social isolation. It is suggested that where men are already involved with an informal support network efforts should be made to maintain such involvement, both before and after release. Appendixes and reference notes are included in the study.