ON September 10, the British government introduced an early release scheme for prisoners in England and Wales, a measure designed to alleviate overcrowding in prisons.

The scheme’s lack of planning and co-ordination for post-release support has left many vulnerable individuals without housing or healthcare upon release.

Prison leavers are given little notice and are left to fend for themselves, with many pushed straight onto the streets. In desperation, some are reoffending or deliberately breaching their licence conditions to return to the relative security of prison.
 
The number of people sleeping rough after being released from prison has more than trebled in recent years. The Chief Inspector of Probation has stated that homelessness is the biggest driving factor in people reoffending or breaching their licence.

Recent research out of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre reported a staggering 210 per cent increase in just one year from 2022-23 — 332 people managed by Welsh probation services were found sleeping on the streets compared to 107 in 2022. These figures are part of a broader problem of homelessness and a lack of support that continues to drive reoffending rates and prison overcrowding.
 
The impact of the scheme is being felt acutely in my constituency of South Wales West, especially in Bridgend where HMP Parc has released a number of people early and onto the streets with little to no support.
 
Rebecca Lloyd, CEO of BARC Community Outreach Centre in Bridgend, has contacted my office about the scheme’s impacts. “We’re seeing people walk from the prisons and onto the streets,” she says, noting how the lack of any support system forces people into desperate situations.

One individual she mentioned has been recalled three times in just nine weeks. “He’s deliberately offsetting his licence because there’s no housing or other support, and his mental health is spiralling as a result,” Rebecca explained. This troubling cycle of release, homelessness, and recall is set to worsen as winter approaches and more people are released as a result of the scheme.
 
The findings from Cardiff University further underscore the extent of the problem in Wales. The country has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, with 177 people per 100,000 of the population incarcerated.

Dr Robert Jones, lead author of the report, described the findings as “a depressing picture” of the Welsh criminal justice system, adding that despite these startling statistics, little has been done to address Wales’ alarmingly high imprisonment rate or the growing number of people being released into homelessness.
 
Despite these grim figures, the report noted one area of relative improvement: 53 per cent of people managed by Welsh probation services found settled accommodation upon release in 2022-23, compared to 48 per cent in England.

However, the gap remains wide for those falling through the cracks, like Matthew and Rhys, both clients of BARC. Matthew, despite being employed, is battling alcoholism while living in a tent. “If I had a roof over my head, I could work on everything else — my mental health and addictions. It’s hard to work on alcoholism in a tent,” he said, emphasising the urgent need for support services seven days a week.
 
Rhys, also homeless, shared his frustrations about how homeless services like BARC aren’t adequately publicised by local authorities: “We only hear about them through word of mouth.”

“Winter is coming,” he added, “we’re going to lose people. Every other day someone walks into BARC and says, ‘Did you hear so-and-so died last night?’ It’s so common now.”
 
Both Matthew and Rhys agree that BARC’s compassionate and understanding approach should be the benchmark for how all sectors should work with homeless people and those struggling with addictions: “Government and local government have to understand that people with addictions do display antisocial behaviour. BARC staff understand this. They see us as the people we are. They tell us they understand us and will work with us. And that’s what we need.”
 
The lack of post-release planning is only compounding the homelessness crisis. As the number of early releases rises, particularly in the lead-up to winter, organisations like BARC are stretched thin, providing essential services that should be supported by local councils and national government.

Without a fundamental change in how post-release support is handled — across housing, mental health services, and addiction treatment — more individuals will be left vulnerable to the streets.
 
Central to this is the immediate need to build more affordable housing, ensuring that vulnerable individuals, like those being released from prison, have somewhere to go. Housing is not just a place to live; it is the foundation upon which people can rebuild their lives. But housing alone is not enough. There must be a commitment to long-term care, including mental health services and addiction support.
 
Investing in housing and holistic care isn’t simply about reducing recidivism — it’s about putting the conditions in place to enable people to move forward, free from sanctimony and judgement.

Luke Fletcher is MS for South Wales West and the Plaid Cymru economy spokesperson. Follow him on Twitter @FletcherPlaid.