Beyond the prison gates

In 2012 the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service and StreetCare undertook a consultation project exploring the experiences and difficulties faced by people who have recently exited the prison system into situations of housing crisis or homelessness. The close relationship between recent prison experience, housing crisis, homelessness, and socio-economic disadvantage has been confirmed in several Australian studies over the last ten years. This project involved consultation interviews with 26 people who exited prison in the previous two years into situations of housing crisis or homelessness.

This report details the results of the consultation, and details the views of participants on issues such as problems regarding pre-release services in prison, difficulties finding accommodation post-release, other common difficulties experienced by people who have just been released from prison, and some of the difficulties and challenges faced by agencies that provide support services for people released from prison.