Committee publication · Correspondence · 14 January 2026 · HC 702

Letter to and from Nacro, following the 12 November evidence session on Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales, dated 4 December 2025 & 9 January 2026

Inquiry: Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales

Summary

Ruth Jones MP (Welsh Affairs Committee Chair) requests written evidence from Nacro on prison leavers' housing barriers following their 12 November evidence session. Nacro's response details systemic failures in accommodation provision for released prisoners in Wales, highlighting the lack of affordable housing, insufficient supported accommodation, and the cycle of homelessness-to-reoffending. Nacro identifies specific interventions and existing projects as models for replication.

Key findings

Prison leavers in Wales face acute barriers securing accommodation: insufficient CAS-3 provision, lack of affordable housing, high eligibility thresholds for supported accommodation, and barriers in the private rented sector (deposits, guarantor conditions, LHA gaps, stigma around criminal records).
Many individuals are released into emergency or temporary accommodation despite AFAs submitted 56 days before release; some present on release day to find no accommodation available, triggering immediate disengagement or survival behaviours.
Unsafe temporary placements (often mixed-gender bed and breakfast) trigger relapse, trauma responses, and reoffending, particularly for women with abuse histories and those in recovery, creating a damaging cycle of short sentences, homelessness, and recall.
Demand for supported accommodation significantly outstrips supply; local authorities place individuals in unsuitable lower-level dispersed accommodation by necessity rather than readiness, increasing placement breakdown and limiting effectiveness.
Nacro's 24/7 supported temporary accommodation service in Pembrokeshire (20 individuals) and community-based alternatives for women demonstrate replicable models; earlier pre-release assessment and proactive local authority engagement could reduce reliance on emergency placements.

Tone

Critical

Topics

criminal-justicehousing-homelessnessrehabilitationsafeguardingpublic-health

Key actors

Ruth Jones MP, Chloe Marshall, Nacro, Welsh Affairs Committee, Ministry of Justice, Local authorities in Wales, Pembrokeshire local authority

Notable line

“… accommodation is not simply a roof over their head; it is foundational to rehabilitation. Unsafe environments and social isolation can quickly trigger relapse, disengagement, or behaviours that are then interpreted as non-compliance.”

Key Quotes

“Thank you for participating in my committee's inquiry into prisons, probation and rehabilitation in Wales. During the session, we were unable to cover all of the questions my committee had intended to ask you.”
— Ruth Jones MP · Requesting additional written evidence from Nacro

“CAS-3 accommodation, which provides up to 84 nights of accommodation, is intended to prevent people from being released homeless. However, in practice, people still fall through the gaps.”
— Nacro · Describing the failure of current accommodation schemes

“Unsafe environments and social isolation can quickly trigger relapse, disengagement, or behaviours that are then interpreted as non-compliance. In some cases, recall to custody is driven by behaviours that are directly influenced by accommodation instability rather than a lack of willingness to engage.”
— Nacro · Explaining how unsuitable accommodation drives reoffending and recall

“We are increasingly seeing individuals present on the day of release only to be told that no accommodation is available, leaving them with a sleeping bag and an instruction to return the following day.”
— Nacro · Documenting instances of individuals released with no housing secured

“… demand for supported accommodation significantly outstrips supply. Local authorities are under acute pressure to accommodate individuals with complex needs, including those presenting with significant behavioural challenges and antisocial behaviour that would be more appropriately managed within intensive, 24/7 supported environments.”
— Nacro · Identifying systemic supply-demand imbalance in supported housing

“In Pembrokeshire, we deliver a 24/7 supported temporary accommodation service for approximately 20 individuals assessed as too high-risk for bed and breakfast provision. The service offers overnight support and works alongside partners to provide tailored interventions, inclusion activities, and active move-on planning.”
— Nacro · Presenting an existing replicable model for supported temporary accommodation

“We also believe there is a strong case for developing community-based alternatives to custody for women, keeping them close to family and support networks and enabling rehabilitation in a safer, more trauma-informed way.”
— Nacro · Recommending gender-informed community-based solutions

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗