Key Findings: Broaden Access to Housing and Food
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Without the benefits provided by stable housing, exiting individuals struggling to meet other basic needs, such as finding employment and gaining access to substance abuse treatment and health care services, may face a higher risk of relapse and recidivism.[i]
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Programs that match individuals’ needs with offered services are estimated to reduce recidivism risk by as much as 50%.[ii]
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Residential stability/instability is closely associated with rates of crime, violence, and health-related issues.[iii]
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Under statutes in all 50 states, rental property owners may – but are not required to – screen for and refuse to rent to people with criminal backgrounds.[iv]
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Women with minor children find securing housing particularly challenging given their limited economic resources.[v]
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The likelihood of homelessness increases for those with mental health and substance abuse problems,[vi] and sadly, only 1/3 of homeless formerly incarcerated individuals have their needs met through supported accommodation.[vii]
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A study found that crime was no more prevalent around halfway houses than in areas where there were no such facilities.[viii]
[i] Outside the Walls: A National Snapshot of Community-Based Prisoner Reentry Programs, 1, http://www.reentrymediaoutreach.org/pdfs/housing_bp.pdf.
[ii] James Austin, “Prisoner Reentry: Current Trends, Practices, and Issues, ” Crime and Delinquency, 47 (2001):314-334.
[iii] James Austin and Patricia Hardyman, Exploring the Needs and Risks of the Returning Prisoner Population, (2002), 62,
http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/410626_ReturningPrisonerPopulation.pdf.
[iv] Reentry Policy Council, Report of the Re-entry policy Council: Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community, http://reentrypolicy.org/report/TOC.
[v] The Urban Institute, Prisoner Reentry and Community Policing: Strategies for Enhancing Public Safety, (March 2006), http://www.urban.org/publications/411061.html.
[vi] Bureau of Justice Statistics, Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000 (Washington, DC: October 2001).
[vii] Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Supported accommodation for ex-offenders: Identifying effective practice. Housing Research 138, (February 1995), http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/pdf/H138.pdf.
[viii] National Public Radio, “Housing First: A special Report,” NPR.org, http://www.npr.org/news/specials/housingfirst/whoneeds/ex-offenders.html.