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4 January 2008
Shelter has launched a new service called the Prisoners Advocacy Release Team (PART) to help newly released prisoners find settled homes and avoid re-offending.
Generously funded by The Pilgrim Trust, PART will meet clients from Leeds prison 'at the gate', advocate on their behalf, and provide intensive support as they look for housing.
The team will help prisoners with a range of problems from homelessness, harassment and illegal eviction issues to welfare benefit queries. Prisoners who have short sentences, (under 12 months) will be targeted, as they can only get help from the probationary services after a 12 month sentence.
Based in the South and West Yorkshire Housing Aid Centre, PART will be working with numerous key services in the Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees areas.
PART team leader Martin Humphries said: ' We are very excited about the potential the team has to offer. Prison leavers face considerable barriers to overcoming their housing problems, which can vary greatly, from loss of tenancy through to homelessness.
'Our aim is to support ex-offenders leaving HMP Leeds by ensuring that they have stable and appropriate accommodation on release, and that they receive support needed for successful resettlement - thus avoiding re-offending.'
Georgina Nayler, Director of the Pilgrim Trust, said: 'The Pilgrim Trust is delighted to be supporting this important project.
'The Trustees hope that it will have a lasting impact on services available to prisoners. They want it to demonstrate how effective support and partnerships can help them to resettle successfully in their communities.'
The facts about ex-offenders and housing
- 59% of prisoners are reconvicted within two years of release
- Just under half of all prisoners are homeless on release
- Stable accommodation can reduce re-offending by 20%
The PART team | | Front row l-r: Ruth Haythorn, Liz Sunley, Jamie Glencross. Back row l-r: Martin Humphries, Sylvia Simpson |
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