HMP Bronzefield is the only purpose-built, private prison for women in the UK, as well as being the largest female prison in Europe. The prison has said that many of the problems regarding accommodation for released prisoners are due to a lack of social housing in the area, as well as a tendency for local authority housing departments to downgrade the needs of ex-offenders to "low priority."
Homelessness Charity Homeless Link cites the availability of accommodation as a key factor in re-offending, and says that "housing and support must be available for every person leaving prison, including those serving short sentences."
Research from @JustlifeUK on the problem of substandard unsupported temporary accommodation https://t.co/YBh4Zx64JP pic.twitter.com/w1xRwdUOQb
— Homeless Link (@HomelessLink) April 12, 2016
A survey from the UK Government's Ministry of Justice, also found that over three quarters of prisoners who were homeless before custody re-offended within a year of release, as opposed to less than half of those who were in accommodation beforehand.
Women released from HMP Bronzefield with NOWHERE to go-NFA — What on earth is going on at MoJ? 'Revolving doors?' Bonkers!Responsibility??
— Jeffrey Harris (@JSHKT20) April 13, 2016
Women on release from HMP Bronzefield given tents and sleeping bags. How is that great progressive cause of prison reform going Mr Cameron?
— Prof Francis Pakes (@FrancisPakes) April 13, 2016
The shadow Prisons Minister — Labour's Jo Stevens — commented on the revelations surrounding HMP Bronzefield:
"It is absolutely staggering that women seem to have been released from prison with nothing more than a tent or a sleeping bag… This is astonishing and a far cry from the safe and secure accommodation needed to assist them in the rehabilitation process."
This is not the first time that HMP Bronzefield has found itself on the receiving end of negative publicity; back in 2011, inspectors were highly critical of healthcare standards at the facility, which they called "shockingly poor."
More recently — in 2013 — the discovery that an inmate had been segregated for over five years led the Chief Inspector to describe it as "cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment."
