PRISONERS are experiencing a ‘cliff edge’ on leaving jail, with little or no professional support and inappropriate accommodation, according to a report by researchers at the University of York.
The report warned that drug recovery work in prison was largely futile unless suitable accommodation and support were available to people after their release.
It said they were often housed in inappropriate hostels or funded B&Bs where drugs and prostitution were rife and, without adequate support, people who had served their time were likely to relapse and reoffend, no matter how good the support they had received in prison.
Charlie Lloyd, of the department of social policy and social work, said: “There is pressing need to give prisoners with a history of drug dependence a realistic chance of making positive changes to their lives once they have served their time.”
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