AIBU to assume prisons would help prisoners being released find somewhere to stay?

[PandemicAtTheDisco]

We have a disreputable family member who has just been released and is demanding we house him. He has asked several times whilst he was in prison and we all said no. We keep saying he is no longer welcome.

There is a long history of verbal and physical abuse, theft, identity fraud and alcohol and drug-induced disturbance - music playing loudly all night, unpaid bills, property damage etc. He has MH issues and health issues.

He has been released and says he has nowhere to go and no one will help him.

AIBU to assume Prisons would have sorted out somewhere for him to stay?

There was a BBC documentary a couple of years ago, where prisoners (women, I think) were being released with tents because they had nowhere to go and there was no way of housing them. But this still isn’t your problem, OP. Sorry you’re in this position.

People are released from prison as homeless and indeed discharged from hospital with nowhere to go. I've had situations where hospital transport have left a person discharged from hospital in our office (local authority).

A duty to refer should have been completed and sent to the LA homeless team. We get them all the time abd try hard to assess people's needs before they're released. Sometimes they'll have to go to an approved premises, sometimes eligible for CAS3 but as pp said that's only for 84 days. Sometimes they're told to present to our office upon release but they don't.

Sometimes they're not in priority need, so no duty to provide temp. Sometimes they are deemed too high risk to place in temp. Sometimes they've been in all the available temp and they won't have them back for good reason.

It's really not a one size fits all approach

In my local council prisoners are placed in temp either the hostel, hotel or flats depending what's available. Some are even put into secure tenancies on release. These things are generally put in place a couple of weeks before they're out. This is Scotland though so maybe different.

We are expecting him to turn up in a few hours time.

I don't think we can even let him in the house because we would not be safe.

We will end up phoning the police if he turns up and then refuses to leave.

He will likely be arrested. I actually think I'd prefer him in prison rather than on the streets.

That makes sense, you get out earlier on tag IF you have a suitable address. Probation check with whoever lives there that they are happy with the arrangement. There's also a risk assessment.