§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the prisons where housing advice is available in advance of release; how soon they will extend this to all prisons; and whether they will use the services of experienced non-governmental organisations to this end. [HL1200]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThe Prison Service does not maintain a central record of all the establishments where housing advice is available in advance of release. From the available information those establishments include Birmingham, Brinsford, Buckley Hall, Bullingdon, Bullwood Hall, Cardiff, Doncaster, Drake Hall, Feltham. Forest Bank, Garth, Glen Parva, Haverigg, Hewell Grange, High Down, Highpoint, Hindley, Holloway, Holme House, Kirkham, Lancaster Castle, Lancaster Farms, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Low Newton, Manchester, New Hall, Norwich, Onley, Pentonville, Portland, Preston, Risley, Stafford, Standford Hill, Stoke Heath, Styal, Thorn Cross, Wandsworth, Wealstun, Winchester, The Wolds and Wymott.
The Prison Service's Custody to Work initiative, with an additional £14.5 million a year from April 2003, is geared towards increasing the number of prisoners getting jobs or training or education places after release, and the number with stable accommodation. We expect some of this investment to be used to extend the housing advice services available in prison, including those provided by nongovernmental organisations experienced in this work.
The National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders has recently produced for the Prison Service guidance on the provision of prison-based housing advice services based on existing examples of good practice.