The Revolving Door of Prison and Homelessness: How do the Prison
In-Reach Services work and what can we learn from them?
McGinley, S.
Focus Ireland, High Street, Dublin 8. smcginley@focusireland.ie
Abstract
It is widely accepted that prisoners and ex-prisoners are at greater risk of homelessness than
others in society, and can have additional complex needs such as mental and physical illness,
drug and alcohol issues, and difficulties with interpersonal relationships. As a result of these
difficulties, ex-prisoners can struggle to secure private rented accommodation and local
authority housing, resulting in periods in emergency accommodation or sleeping rough. This in
turn can promote a cycle of homelessness, re-offending and imprisonment.
The services required to address these complex needs are provided by a range of statutory and
voluntary organisations. Identifying and accessing these multiple services can pose a major
challenge for former prisoners, who often lack the knowledge and skills to navigate this system,
may be distrustful of the authorities, or can struggle to take control of their own lives having
become ‘institutionalised’.
Focus Ireland has seen the difficulties ex-prisoners experience upon release from prison and
recognises the need for a collaborate approach to respond to these difficulties. This has
resulted in the establishment of Prison In-Reach services in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
This paper presents the findings of three evaluations into these Prison In-Reach services and
what can be learned from them1. The paper concludes that the interagency structure of the
Prison In-Reach service is crucial in its successful operation, and that the model of service
delivery must be fully adaptable, responsive, intensive and inclusive in order to make a
difference to the lives of former prisons and persons in custody.
Setting the scene
Homelessness and offending behaviour
Research has found that there are a variety of reasons why some individuals experiencing
homelessness (particularly those sleeping rough) commit offences, including:
1. The criminalisation of street life (e.g. drinking in public, vagrancy).
2. Criminal behaviour to survive on the streets (e.g. shop lifting).
3. The stigmatisation of those sleeping rough as a potential threat to community safety
means that rough sleepers may be more likely to be formally processed for offences that
may otherwise have been ignored.
1
Sarma, K. (2014). Evaluation of the Limerick Prison In-Reach Pilot Project. Dublin: Focus Ireland; Sarma, K. (2014).
Evaluation of the Cork Prison In-Reach Pilot Project. Dublin: Focus Ireland; and McGinley, S. (forthcoming).
Evaluation of the Dublin Prison In-Reach Pilot Project. Dublin: Focus Ireland.
1
The type of offences committed by those experiencing homelessness prior to their first term of
imprisonment was found in Hickey’s study on Crime and Homelessness (2002) to be
predominantly drug offences, larceny and vagrancy. This was in contrast to more serious
offences committed by persons homeless after a period of imprisonment2.
Mayock et al.’s study (forthcoming) on the life experiences of forty ‘out of home’ young people
and their families has found that, for many of these young people, involvement in criminal
activity increased following their entry into the ‘official’ network of homeless youth3.
Furthermore, there are notable gender differences in the patterns and types of offending
behaviour. These findings mirror previous studies on youth homelessness in Ireland, which
have found that the instability of some young people’s living situations and their perceptions of
what they required to survive were key factors in shaping their involvement in criminal activity.
Ex-prisoners and homelessness
Although crime is not an inevitable consequence of homelessness, the lack of appropriate and
stable accommodation can increase the risk of offending and re-offending. There are a variety
of complex links between homelessness and offending behaviour, and between release from
prison and entering homelessness and re-offending behaviour. People that have committed an
offence can experience additional social exclusion and difficulties in resettlement when they are
homeless.
2
Hickey, C. (2002). Crime and Homelessness. Dublin: Focus Ireland and PACE.
Mayock, P., Parker, S. and Murphy, A. (forthcoming). Young People, Homelessness and Housing Exclusion. Dublin:
Focus Ireland.
3
2
Homelessness
Causes & consequences of homelessness:
For example: substance abuse, mental health
issues, family breakdown, poor health etc.
Homeless upon
release:
Reasons
for
committing
offences:
For example: no
fixed abode, lost
rented
accommodation,
family
breakdown,
social exclusion
etc.
For example:
survival on
streets, drinking
in public,
stigmatisation of
rough sleeping
etc.
Reasons for remand in custody & prison committal:
Prison
Offence
For example: number of previous arrests, category of
offence, not given temporary release, no fixed abode etc.
Ex-prisoners and people released on remand can experience a range of barriers to successful
re-entry into society, and one of these is a difficulty in securing accommodation. A survey of 151
homeless services in the UK found that ex-prisoners were accessing the vast majority of these
homeless services. For more than one-fifth of these services, former prisoners constituted 50%
or more of their total client numbers4. Although the situation in Ireland differs, Seymour and
Costello’s study (2005)5, which examined the prevalence of homelessness in an Irish prison
sample, found that 25% of prisoners were homeless immediately prior to arriving in prison.
Official statistics generally under-represent the number of homeless individuals in the criminal
justice system, due to the adverse implications for offenders (e.g. an increased likelihood of
4
SNAP (2008). Survey of Needs and Provision: Services for homes single people and couples in England. UK:
Homeless Link.
5 Seymour, M. and Costello, L. (2005). A Study of the Number, Profile and Progression Routes of Homeless Persons
Before the Court and in Custody. Dublin: Probation and Welfare Service.
3
being remanded in custody, reduced likelihood of receiving temporary release etc.) if they state
their homeless status.
Prisoners are also at risk of losing their accommodation during their time in prison. Research
examining the housing needs of 136 ex-prisoners in England found that, of those ex-prisoners
who had been homeowners prior to incarceration, most lost their homes as a result of not being
able to make mortgage repayments during their period of detention, or not being able to secure
employment upon release6. All those who had lived in rented accommodation prior to
imprisonment lost their accommodation due to non-payment of rent, and those who had been
homeless prior to imprisonment, or had been living in emergency shelters, returned to
homelessness upon release. The study also found that a large proportion of the ex-prisoners
lost their accommodation due to family disintegration, and many had to cope with the loss of
accommodation, a partner or employment upon release from prison.
A period in prison can increase a person’s likelihood of becoming homeless upon release, as
they may not be able to return to their previous accommodation due to a family relationship
breakdown, or due to the loss of local authority or private rented accommodation as they are not
able to pay rent while incarcerated.
It is also widely acknowledged that the prevalence of mental health problems among prisoners
and ex-prisoners is significantly higher than in the general population7. The findings of a study in
Ireland suggest that more than a quarter of Irish male prisoners (26.7%) suffer from a mental
illness, with higher prevalence rates for psychotic disorders (2.7%), major depressive disorder
(5%), affective disorder (8.5%), and anxiety disorders (13.8%) compared to the general
population8.
Research in Ireland9 has found that substance abuse and mental health problems can intensify
a person’s homeless situation and influence their likelihood of re-offending. Addiction issues can
impact on the ability of an ex-prisoner to transition into the community upon release, affecting
their mental health, employability and ability to manage day-to-day relationships and
accommodation. Most ex-prisoners experience multiple needs, such as homelessness, mental
and physical health problems, drug and alcohol addiction, and poverty. As a result, a holistic
approach to responding to their complex needs is required and no individual problem can be
approached in isolation10.
Hickey’s study (2002) found that access to information and advice on release from prison was
higher than while in prison. “The most common immediate and practical need identified by
respondents was accommodation; in addition they reported the need for addiction treatment,
6
Carlisle, J. (1996). The housing needs of ex-prisoners. Housing Research 178.
James, D. J. and Glaze, L. E. (2006). Mental health problems of prison and jail inmates. US Department of Justice
Document NCJ213600.
8 Duffy, D., Linehan, S. and Kennedy H. (2006). ‘Psychiatric morbidity in the male sentenced Irish prison population’.
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 23: 54-62.
9 Seymour, M. and Costello, L. (2005). A Study of the Number, Profile and Progression Routes of Homeless Persons
Before the Court and in Custody. Dublin: Probation and Welfare Service.
10 HM Government (2005). Reducing re-offending through Skills and Employment. UK: Department for Work and
Pensions.
7
4
family reconciliation services, employment advice, further training and education, and emotional
support in the form of counselling”11.
Addressing the Gap - The Prison In-Reach Service
Research has found that offenders who are homeless are more likely to re-offend than those
with secure accommodation. Interventions can help prevent homelessness or end the cycle of
homelessness and re-offending behaviour. Reducing re-offending behaviour can improve lives,
maintain public safety, and reduce costs to the criminal justice system.
Focus Ireland recognises that a common approach to addressing the accommodation and
support needs of those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in prisons is necessary – the
need for joint working is acknowledged given the ‘cross-over’ of client groups. Focus Ireland
identified a gap in the sector in meeting the needs of this high risk group, and recognised that
they required support (such as linkages to alcohol, drugs, mental health and accommodation
services). In 2006, Focus Ireland approached the Probation Service with regard to piloting a
Prison In-Reach service for young men at risk of homelessness. Focus Ireland proposed a case
management model to support the provision of a seamless service response between prison,
homeless services and accommodation to plan a pathway out of homelessness.
The rationale for setting up a Prison In-Reach service was that it would lead to reductions in reoffending if the service provided a thorough needs and risk assessment, and was customised to
the needs of the service-user. It is important to note that there are many outcomes that can be
impacted by interventions. Levels of re-offending is the ‘gold-standard’ outcome measure for the
criminal justice system, however interventions can also affect the psychological well-being of
service-users, their sense of empowerment, civic responsibility and inclusion in society.
The Probation Service recognised that a prisoner care and case management model could
provide a new form of service for prisoners. The Probation Service established a Steering
Group to oversee the first Prison In-Reach service in Dublin, with representation from Focus
Ireland, the Irish Prison Service, the Homeless Agency, the HSE’s Homeless Persons Unit
(HPU) and the Probation Service.
In September 2007, the Dublin Prison In-Reach service commenced in Cloverhill Prison. This
prison was selected due to the nature of the institution, i.e. high turnover rate and number of reoffenders. After the two-year pilot period, the Dublin In-Reach service was extended to
Wheatfield Prison.
In 2008, the Irish Prison Service reviewed the extent to which their prisons were providing
services to prisoners at risk of homelessness. Cork and Limerick Prisons were identified as
having less well developed responses to this risk - the HPU was less actively providing InReach services in Cork and Limerick, and there were concerns that the then Probation and
Welfare Service was to re-prioritise its service delivery towards addressing offending behaviour
and away from the traditional model of welfare provision, with potential consequences for the
resettlement planning of those experiencing homelessness.
11
Hickey, C. (2002). Crime and Homelessness. Dublin: Focus Ireland and PACE.
5
In addition, there was an established and successful Post-Release Service staffed by a PostRelease Coordinator in Cork Prison. It was felt that an In-Reach project specialising in
responding to the risk of homelessness would enhance the existing post-release service
through a collaborative partnership. In 2008, the Irish Prison Service secured funding through
the Dormant Accounts Fund and Pobal to run the Prison In-Reach service in Limerick and Cork
Prisons. Focus Ireland was successful in its application to provide these services, and the two
services commenced in July 2009.
How does the Prison In-Reach service work?
Aim and target group
The aim of the Prison In-Reach service is to provide a seamless transition from prison to the
community, for offenders who have been previously homeless or may be at risk of
homelessness upon release from custody. The service is preventative, aiming to break the cycle
of homelessness, rough sleeping, and dependence on emergency accommodation, offending
and custody. It works with prisoners at risk of homelessness to ensure that there are
accommodation options available to them upon their release from prison. The In-Reach case
manager engages with those at risk of homelessness pre-release, assesses their needs,
develops a case plan, and implements the case plan post-release.
The target group for this service are male offenders over 18 years of age who will be, or are at
risk of, becoming homeless upon release from prison. In order to access the service, prisoners
must meet the Habitual Residency Condition, i.e. they must be habitually resident in the State
for a period of two or more years prior to seeking to access the service. While the project
accepts referrals for all prisoners, regardless of their criminal history, the project protocol
envisaged that those with convictions for arson or sexual/physical violence would be subject to
a formal risk assessment prior to acceptance into the service. The risk management tool would
be individually tailored dependant on a person’s presenting needs.
Within the first year of the Dublin project, the referral system highlighted a cohort of
offenders/persons in custody who had a much higher than anticipated level of need who
required significantly more intense engagement to attain stable accommodation upon release.
Many of the referred service-users were older than initially anticipated. In keeping with the ethos
of the In-Reach approach, the project was adapted to meet the needs of this group.
Intensive case management
The Prison In-Reach services have adopted a case management model of working with serviceusers. Case management is characterised by a careful assessment of need, intensive work with
a small number of clients, linkage with external agencies (as appropriate), and good service
availability12. The case management model involves a range of tools and processes which
improve collaborative service delivery, such as: risk assessments, care plans, the Holistic
These process-based descriptors are based on Morse, G. (1999). ‘A review of case management for people who
are homeless: Implications for practice, policy and research’. Chapter in Fosburg, L. and Dennis, D. (Eds). Practical
lessons: The 1998 National Symposium on Homelessness Research. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
12
6
Needs Assessment tool, interagency protocols, a service-user feedback mechanism, monitoring
and evaluation mechanisms, and outcome-measurement tools.
Focus Ireland initially proposed a brokerage case management13 model for the Dublin Prison InReach pilot project. However, it became clear during the first year of the service that the high
and complex needs of the individuals being referred necessitated a more intensive case
management approach, i.e. being able to adapt quickly to meet the changing needs of serviceusers pre- and post-release, delivering a face-to-face service to those with high needs and a
history of leading ‘chaotic’ lives, and building up a supportive and strong relationship with
service-users. The project has adapted to meet the needs of service-users, rather than
maintaining the initial model and criteria proposed, which would have resulted in an inadequate
level of support and a service that could not adapt as quickly to service-users’ changing needs
pre- and post-release.
A partnership approach
A key element of the Prison In-Reach service’s framework is its partnership and co-ordinated
multi-disciplinary approach. The three services are provided by Focus Ireland in partnership with
the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, the Homeless Persons Unit, and in the case of
Cork Prison the Post-Release Service.
In order to provide a framework to facilitate these partner organisations working together in
partnership and addressing the issue of homelessness, Implementation/Stakeholder and
Steering Groups have been established for each service. The combination of statutory and
voluntary agencies on these two groups has been important, and has assisted in driving forward
the service and the intensive case management model adopted.
A flexible service
Once a referral is made to the Prison In-Reach service and the applicant is deemed suitable,
the case manager completes a Holistic Needs Assessment of the prisoner/person in custody
pre-release, assessing the supports that they require, their aspirations, and the most suitable
pathway towards settlement. A support plan based on this assessment and in agreement with
the offender/person in custody is developed, which outlines the steps required to move towards
settlement. Once the required resources are identified, the case manager will liaise with the
necessary agencies and services to provide these resources (such as accommodation, drug
treatment, mental health services etc.). The agreed support plan is distributed to these services,
and it is the role of the case manager to ensure that the support plan is implemented. The case
manager works to build a trusting and productive relationship with the service-user, and to
provide the required supports that the service-user need to achieve his goals and improve his
quality of life.
The In-Reach case managers provide a variety of supports to service-users post-release,
including: referrals to other services, sourcing accommodation, providing information and
advice, writing letters and completing forms, support in building self-esteem and confidence,
capacity building of individuals to make their own informed decisions, helping them to
13
The Brokerage Case Management Model focuses on providing access to services and is suitable for remote
delivery.
7
understand the consequences of their actions, budgeting, accessing social welfare entitlements
and attending appointments.
To ensure a seamless service delivery for people experiencing homelessness whose needs are
complex and multiple, the co-ordination of services is necessary – the intensive case
management approach provides the framework to guide this process. The In-Reach case
managers continue to work with service-users through differing circumstances, ensuring that the
changing needs of an individual can be met, reducing the risks associated with homelessness
and re-offending behaviour.
The In-Reach services have the ability to adapt to meet the changing needs, circumstances and
expectations/goals of service-users, rather than service-users having to adapt to the service.
This allows for a fully adaptable, responsive, intensive and inclusive model and a continuity of
support. The flexibility and roaming capacity of this approach has worked well for the services,
as case managers are available to work closely with service-users and to concentrate on their
particular needs. The intensive case management approach has ensured that the projects are
low threshold, client-focused, and provide a linkage programme to other services.
This ‘stick-ability’, while normally discussed in the context of a project’s ability to follow a
service-user through differing circumstances, was reciprocal within the In-Reach services.
‘Hard-to-reach’ clients, and those who traditionally have had difficulty engaging consistently and
positively with services, pro-actively engaged with their case manager as a result of the one-toone relationship built.
What difference has the Prison In-Reach service made?
Since 2007, the three Prison In-Reach services in Dublin, Cork and Limerick have worked with
over 550 prisoners and offenders/persons in custody pre- and post-release. The number of
individuals engaging in the services have grown year on year.
140
130
130
2012
2013
108
120
91
100
78
80
60
30
40
20
8
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Chart 1: Number of Prison In-Reach service-users by year
8
Profile of service-users
In-depth evaluations have been conducted on the pilot periods of the three Prison In-Reach
services – i.e. from September 2007 to September 2009 for the Dublin service, and July 2009 to
July 2011 for Cork and Limerick. Data on the profile of service-users, and their housing situation
and offending behaviour post-release are presented in these reports.
Although the initial target group of the first Prison In-Reach service in Cloverhill Prison was
those aged 18 to 25 years, the majority of service-users that engaged in the project during the
two-year pilot period were aged 26 to 40 years. This reflected the age profile of
offenders/persons in custody in this prison, and a similar trend was experienced in Cork Prison.
60%
53%
52%
49%
50%
44%
37%
40%
30%
18-25
25%
26-40
22%
41+
20%
11%
7%
10%
0%
Dublin
Cork
Limerick
Chart 2: Age profile of Prison In-Reach service-users during pilot
period by location
In determining risk factors for homelessness, and in reaching a holistic understanding of needs,
the In-Reach case managers identified whether or not each service-user had a history of
addiction, State care, mental health problems, attempted suicide or deliberate self-harm, a
learning disability, relationship issues or other risk factors. Alcohol and/or drug dependence
were the most prevalent risk factors noted. This resonates with the extensive literature linking
addictions with both a risk of homelessness and offending. Similarly, the high reporting of
relationship difficulties was unsurprising given the causal link between relationship breakdown
and homelessness.
Research has found that many people experiencing homelessness (particularly those sleeping
rough) commit offences to ‘survive’ on the streets and due to the criminalisation of street life.
The category of offences reported for the In-Reach service-users that engaged with the services
during the pilot periods clearly reflect these findings - robbery/theft, public order offences, and
assault/violence accounted for the majority of offences committed by the service-users. 18% of
9
In-Reach service-users in Limerick Prison had also been convicted of possession of a
firearm/weapon.
Offending behaviour and housing situation post-release
A core outcome of any intervention for prisoners and ex-prisoners is a greater reduction in
levels of recidivism rates among those accessing the service. It is not possible to definitively
causally link any trend in recidivism data to the three Prison In-Reach services. To do so would
require a matched cohort of prisoners from the same prison who did not receive this service,
with multiple follow-ups. However, it should be noted that the offender population in question
has multiple risk factors for re-offending and very high levels of recidivism should be expected.
Given the high cost of offending, even a small impact on recidivism levels must be considered to
be of great value.
As part of the evaluations, the Irish Prison Service generated ‘return to prison’ data on the
individuals who engaged with the In-Reach services throughout the two-year pilot period14.
At some stage after accessing the services, some of the service-users did return to prison for a
period. As of September 2009, one of the 58 individuals who had engaged with the Dublin
service during its two-year pilot period was back in prison. Six service-users were accessing
temporary accommodation with a plan for long-term housing in place, and 39 had settled
successfully into long-term housing (21 into support housing or care facilities with varying levels
of appropriate support, and 18 into private rented or housing association accommodation).
As of February 2012, the housing situation of 20 of the 30 individuals who had engaged with the
pilot service in Cork was known. Nine service-users were living independently in private rented
accommodation, three were staying in emergency or transitional accommodation, three had
returned to their family home, and a further three had returned to prison.
As of July 2012, 21 of the 53 service-users were still in Limerick Prison, and the housing
situation of a further 21 was unknown by the service. Six service-users had settled into privaterented accommodation upon release, and a further four were residing in emergency or
transitional accommodation.
Disengagement
A number of prisoners/persons in custody did disengage from the In-Reach services for a
variety of reasons, some of which were positive steps for the individual towards settlement into
their community and independent living (e.g. moving into the family home, case management
handed over to another service etc.). Other reasons for disengagement included:


14
Early prison release prior to an assessment being completed and a supportive
relationship with the case manager being established (e.g. temporary release granted
within one week of referral received by the service). This was particularly an issue for
Cloverhill remand prison.
Unwillingness of the service-user to participate in the assessment process; interested in
private rented accommodation only.
The recidivism follow-ups are usually based on occurrence of repeat offending at 12 months, 2 years and 5 years.
10


Service-user losing a placement and unable to engage fully due to complex needs (e.g.
dual-diagnosis, case manager unable to track service-user, case closed after substantial
time has elapsed and all resources exhausted etc.)
Returned to prison and did not want to continue engagement with the service.
The main trend for early disengagement of service-users post-release was inadequate time for
care-planning and relationship building with the allocated case manager while in prison.
Outcomes
Consultations with the partner organisations and project staff as part of the evaluations of the
three In-Reach services clearly indicate that the key outcomes for service-users include an
increased motivation and capacity to access external services, maintain their accommodation
and move towards independent living within the community.
For many service-users, engagement with the In-Reach service has assisted in reducing the
likelihood of re-offending behaviour, as they have had intensive one-to-one support from their
case manager during any periods of crisis, stress or changes in circumstances. The presettlement service demonstrated that individuals were less likely to re-offend when appropriately
housed, and were more likely to attend behaviour modification treatment when residing in stable
accommodation.
The fact that the case managers can work with service-users through differing circumstances
means that the changing needs of the individual can be met, reducing the risks associated with
homelessness and re-offending behaviour. A representative of the Probation Service stated that
“the relationships that have been built up via the work that has been done has been really
invaluable to addressing that person’s offending behaviour”15.
What can we learn from the Prison In-Reach service?
It is clear from the evaluations of the three In-Reach services that improvements have and can
be made in the provision of support to address the experience of homelessness for prisoners
upon release. Learning from these services should inform any future initiatives provided in
prisons and post-release for persons at risk of homelessness.
Nature of the prison system
Offenders/persons in custody can often be released from remand prisons at short notice if a
prison is operating at full capacity. Cloverhill Prison presented a particular challenge for the InReach service, in that there can be a lack of clarity around how long offenders/persons in
custody might remain remanded in the prison and when they might be released.
Unplanned releases can impact on the ability of the In-Reach service to fully engage with those
at risk of homelessness. The nature of Cloverhill Prison made it difficult for the In-Reach case
manager to arrange suitable accommodation, social welfare and treatment etc. for service-users
15
McGinley, S. (forthcoming). Evaluation of the Dublin Prison In-Reach Pilot Project. Dublin: Focus Ireland.
11
post-release, and relationships built with a service-user were found to be more stable and
successful if established pre-release. The longer a case manager is able to engage with a
service-user prior to release, the more likely the service-user will continue to positively engage
with the service.
The Irish Prison Service acknowledges that unplanned release can impact on the
disengagement levels of service-users from projects such as In-Reach. The Post-Release
Coordinator in Cork did note that the frequency of unplanned releases decreased during the
pilot period. Under the Integrated Sentence Management (ISM) system, these should become
even less frequent.
Partnership is key
The partner organisations recognise that a key element of the services’ framework is their
partnership and co-ordinated multi-disciplinary approach. In the case of Dublin, the joint working
system meant that various operational barriers could be addressed by front-line managers and
practitioners within the partner organisations, and identified blocks/obstacles to service-users
accessing services could be discussed by staff in senior policy-making and management roles
within the partner organisations. The Steering Group provided a ‘lead’ for the project and its
operations, and invaluable relationships were established through these groups. Furthermore,
the combination of statutory and voluntary agencies on these groups assisted in driving forward
the service and the case management agenda.
The Stakeholder and Steering Groups were also seen to potentially play important roles in the
Cork and Limerick services. There was regular bilateral contact between Focus Ireland and the
Irish Prison Service on matters arising of a strategic nature. Those consulted as part of the
evaluations did state however that the mechanism and governance of how to address barriers in
the prison system were not always clear to project staff, and the Steering Group appeared to
focus on implementation issues rather than on the barriers being experience by the service.
Engaging with other services
Building good working relationships with other service providers has facilitated a co-ordinated
and holistic response for In-Reach service-users with highly complex needs that previously may
have experienced difficulties in accessing mainstream support services. The three evaluations
found that significant interagency networking was required by the case managers, due to the
complex and specialised needs of the client group.
One of the key obstacles for the In-Reach services is the lack of services that can provide
assistance to service-users with complex and high needs. Many external services do not ‘fit’
fully with the services’ client base.
Appropriate accommodation
There is a lack of appropriate accommodation for ex-prisoners presenting with co-existing
conditions and drug addiction - a gap exists between the services provided by In-Reach and the
availability of appropriate move-on accommodation for this high needs group. The provision of
adaptive housing units for individuals with psychiatric/mental health and other presenting needs
(such as substance abuse) are needed to support individuals with multiple and high support
12
needs. The Housing First service that will be provided by Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry
Trust is a positive step towards addressing the gaps in housing provision for persons
experiencing homelessness with dual-diagnosis and complex needs that require intensive
support.
Conclusion
Although crime is not an inevitable consequence of homelessness, the lack of appropriate and
stable accommodation can increase the risk of offending and re-offending behaviour. People
that have committed an offence can experience additional social exclusion and difficulties in
resettlement when they are homeless, and substance abuse and mental health problems can
intensify a person’s homeless situation and influence their likelihood of re-offending.
Although the prison system strives not to release any prisoner unless they have a place to go to,
people released from prison are still ending up in emergency accommodation or on the streets
on their first night out of prison. Service providers are also experiencing challenges in accessing
accommodation for former prisoners, particularly those with complex and multiple needs and
those deemed ‘high risk’ (e.g. individuals with a history of sexual offences or arson). The
absence of access to dedicated supported accommodation units for prisoners exiting prison is
viewed by the project partners as being the greatest challenge of the In-Reach services.
The Prison In-Reach services provided by Focus Ireland and the other partner organisations are
adapting fully to meet the changing needs, circumstances and expectations/goals of the serviceusers. It is clear from the evaluation findings that this approach has allowed for a continuity of
support, even in cases where service-users temporarily disengage from the service or return to
prison. The model of service delivery has been fully adaptable, responsive, intensive and
inclusive. The evaluations findings support other research studies which have found that
interventions pre- and post-release can help to prevent or end the cycle of homelessness and
re-offending behaviour.
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