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Campaign launched to Reshape Release from prison

Campaign launched to Reshape Release from prison

Campaign launched to Reshape Release from prison

Friday, October 15, 2021

This is a guest blog written by Ana Oppenheim, Communications and Campaigns Manager at Switchback.

Every year, around 50,000 people are released from prison - often with just a plastic bag of their belongings, a small subsistence grant and nowhere to go. Around a third of prisoners are released homeless or to unknown circumstances, while many don’t have a phone, an ID or a bank account. Without these basic means to survive, people can’t move forward.

Switchback is a London charity supporting 18 to 30-year-old men leaving prison. Over and over again, we meet young people who want to make a new start and move away from crime but are held back by the challenges they face. Homelessness and hardship push many people straight into reoffending, just to pay the bills or put a roof over their head. It comes as no surprise that, according to Ministry of Justice figures, prison leavers released homeless are over 50% more likely to reoffend. What’s more, being unable to afford travel or access the internet can make it impossible to comply with licence conditions. “Without getting a phone, I could have been recalled [to prison] on my first day,” we recently heard from Switchback Trainee Tyrell who was running late to his first probation meeting because he had to ask strangers for directions.

Following campaigning by Switchback and others, this summer the government agreed to increase the one-off Subsistence Payment given to prison leavers for the first time in 25 years - from £46 to £76. This is a welcome first step, but more action is still needed to give everyone a basic foundation for a stable life after prison. Facing a weeks’ long wait for their first Universal Credit payment, many people are left with limited options. “You end up doing what you did before that got you into prison, or borrowing money from friends and family, which can cause more tension in your relationships” - Darren told us, a 25-year-old boxing coach who was supported by Switchback after leaving prison in February.

At Switchback, we believe that everyone deserves a chance to build a stable, fulfilling life. That’s why we recently launched a campaign called Reshape Release, developed in collaboration with young prison leavers. We are calling for three urgent actions to support people leaving prison:

  1. Guaranteed accommodation on release
  2. A basic smartphone with data provided when needed
  3. A travelcard and shopping vouchers for essentials.

This, of course, is just the beginning. Our experience shows that trusting relationships and skilled 1-to-1 support are key to enabling people to move away from crime. But in order to access support and thrive, people first need the basic essentials to survive. 

See below Switchback’s video featuring four young prison leavers.

Click here to read more about Reshape Release and join the campaign.

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