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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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103 results foundAuthor: Penfold, Clarissa Title: Homelessness Prevention and Meeting Housing Need of (Ex)Offenders: A Guide to Practice Summary: This guide to practice in homelessness prevention and meeting housing need for (ex) offenders was commissioned by Communities and Local Government and overseen by a steering group including representatives from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Home Office and Youth Justice Board (YJB). It is based on research undertaken by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) in collaboration with Nacro and the Centre for Housing Policy (University of York). The guide is intended to help local authorities and their local partners address the housing needs and prevent homelessness of (ex)offenders. This guide should be read alongside the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities (Communities and Local Government, 2006a) issued by the Secretaries of State, which local authorities must have regard to by law when exercising their homelessness functions, and Homelessness Prevention: A Guide to Good Practice (Communities and Local Government, 2006b) which provides non-statutory, good practice guidance for preventing homelessness through a range of activities commonly operated by local authorities. Also of relevance to this guide is non-statutory guidance published by Communities and Local Government and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Joint working between Housing and Children's Services: Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people (Communities and Local Government & DCSF, 2008). This includes specific guidance on joint working to prevent and tackle homelessness for 16 and 17 year olds and young people leaving care. This guide is intended to complement existing guidance by providing further detail on promising practice relating to assistance for (ex)offenders. This introductory chapter provides: - a brief overview of the policy context for the research - a description of the research methodology - an outline of the structure of the guide Details: London: Great Britain, Department for Communities and Local Government, 2009. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595212/Homeless_prevention_and_meeting_the_needs_of_ex-offenders_archived.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595212/Homeless_prevention_and_meeting_the_needs_of_ex-offenders_archived.pdf Shelf Number: 117122 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Taylor, Ralph B. Title: Potential Models for Understanding Crime Impacts of High or Increasing Unoccupied Housing Rates in Unexpected Places, and How to Prevent Them. Summary: This work considers how spatial and temporal variations in the rates at which residential housing becomes unoccupied are likely to affect community crime rates. Details: Philadelphia: Temple University, Department of Criminal Justice, 2009. 39p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118157 Keywords: Crime RatesEconomic InfluencesHousingNeighborhoods |
Author: Zillah, Alice Title: Re-Entry Housing Pilot Project: Offender Concentration Report Summary: The Washington State Re-Entry Housing Pilot Program (RHPP)is charged with the responsibility for providing grants to eligible organizations that offer housing and services to high-risk and high-need felony offenders who have been released from jail or prison and are still under supervision. In some cases, the community in which an applicant organization wants to site housing for released offenders resists the placement because of concerns about concentration or over-concentration of offenders in that community. This report examines similar re-entry housing programs in other states, and investigates whether there are best practices of successful policies from other states/jurisdictions that RHPP should consider adopting to address this challenge. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, 2008. 45p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117631 Keywords: Ex-Offenders, HousingHousingReentry |
Author: Clinks Title: What Works in Local Commissioning: A 360 Degree Perspective Summary: The Clinks London Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Development Project was established in 2006 and has worked to bring together voluntary sector organizations and commissioners to increase the range of services for offenders and ex-offenders. This report summarizes four pieces of research commissioned by Clinks to establish how a variety of services are commissioned for those leaving prison and serving sentences in the community. Each service is illustrated by case studies, giving perspectives from staff delivering the services, users of each service and those who commission the offender. The four services highlighted in this report include: 1) services provided by Adfam to support people affected by family members' drug use and crime; 2) services for people with a dual diagnosis of mental health problems along with drug or alcohol dependency; 3)a look at a variety of housing services commissioned for prison leavers; and 4) a program providing training and employment opportunities, with a focus on young black, Asian and minority ethic offenders. Details: York, UK: Clinks, 2008. 55p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118624 Keywords: Drug OffendersEmployment, Ex-OffendersEx-Offenders, Services forHousingMentally Ill OffendersReentryVoluntary and Community Organizations (U.K.) |
Author: Fontaine, Jocelyn Title: Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Corporation for Supportive Housing's Pilot Program: Interim Report, Oct. 2007-Sept. 2008. Summary: The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Corporation for Supportive Housing Ohio Office developed a pilot program that provides permanent supportive housing to individuals released from several Ohio prisons. The Pilot intends to reduce recidivism and homelessness/shelter usage and decrease the costs associated with multiple service system use. The Urban Institute is evaluating the Pilot to explore whether it is meeting its intended goals. This Interim Report covers the first year of the evaluation—describing the Pilot and its eligibility requirements; the UI evaluation methods; and the characteristics and preliminary outcomes of the Pilot's first 57 clients. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2009. 34p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119279 Keywords: Ex-Prisoners (Ohio)HousingRecidivismReentry |
Author: Roman, Caterina Gouvis Title: The Corporation for Supportive Housing's Returning Home Initiative: System Change Accomplishments after Three Years Summary: In 2006, the Corporation for Supportive Housing launched its Returning Home Initiative (RHI) with two goals: 1) to establish permanent supportive housing as an essential reentry component for formerly incarcerated persons with histories of homelessness, mental illness, and chronic health conditions; and 2) to promote local and national policy changes to integrate the corrections, housing, mental health, and human service systems. The Urban Institute assessed the process of system change stimulated by RHI activities in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago — three communities receiving significant RHI investment. This brief summarizes the influence of RHI-funded activities in each of these cities. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2009. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Summary Brief: Accessed August 19, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412024_returning_home_initiative.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412024_returning_home_initiative.pdf Shelf Number: 119631 Keywords: Homelessness, Ex-OffendersHousingReentry |
Author: Jones, Anwen Title: The Effectiveness of Schemes to Enable Households at Risk of Domestic Violence to Stay in Their Own Homes: Research Report Summary: A Sanctuary Scheme is a multi-agency victim centred initiative which aims to enable households at risk of violence to remain safely in their own homes by installing a 'Sanctuary' in the home and through the provision of support to the household. This evaluation was carried out in 2009/10 and involved interviews with national stakeholders, local case studies (interviews with service providers, support providers, local stakeholders, and service users), and a cost-benefit analysis. It shows that overall Sanctuary Schemes were thought to have been successful in their main aim of providing a safe alternative for households at risk of domestic violence, and preventing the disruption associated with homelessness. It also highlights that there are different types of installation and security measures and also variation in the way schemes operate post installation. Nevertheless, respondents in all areas reported similar outcomes and, for the most part, service users reported positive experiences. Details: West Yorkshire, UK: Communities and Local Government Publications, 2010. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2010 at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697772.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697772.pdf Shelf Number: 119692 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDomestic ViolenceFamly ViolenceHousingIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Jones, Anwen Title: Santuary Schemes for Households at Risk of Domestic Violence: Practice Guide for Agencies Developing and Delivering Sanctuary Schemes Summary: A Sanctuary Scheme is a multi-agency victim centred initiative which aims to enable households at risk of violence to remain safely in their own homes by installing a 'Sanctuary' in the home and through the provision of support to the household. This guide highlights the transferable lessons from an evaluation of Sanctuary Schemes, and will be particularly useful for local level practitioners in developing strategies to prevent homelessness and support for households at risk of domestic violence. Details: West Yorkshire, UK: Communities and Local Government Publications, 2010. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 29, 2010 at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697793.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1697793.pdf Shelf Number: 119691 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHousingIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Goodstein, Ryan M. Title: Do Foreclosures Increase Crime? Summary: Among the policy concerns associated with increased foreclosures is an increase in neighborhood crime. We propose that foreclosures increase crime by decreasing informal policing by residents, an aspect of crime deterrence little explored in the empirical economics literature. We investigate the effect of foreclosures on crime using a national county-level panel dataset covering the period 2002 to 2007. Employing an instrumental variables strategy to correct for measurement error in foreclosure rates, we find robust evidence that foreclosures increase burglary. A one percentage point increase in foreclosure rates is estimated to increase burglary rates by 10.1 percent. Sensitive to sample period, we also find positive effects on larceny and on aggravated assault. Our estimates indicate that the recent spike in foreclosure activity will result in associated community-wide burglary costs of at least $4.6 billion, and of at least $17.4 billion when considering the impact on all types of crime. Details: Washington, DC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Center for Financial Research, 2010. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: FDIC Center for Financial Research Working Paper, No. 2010-05: Accessed October 20, 2010 at: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/cfr/2010/wp2010/CFR_WP_2010_05goodsteinlee.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/cfr/2010/wp2010/CFR_WP_2010_05goodsteinlee.pdf Shelf Number: 120034 Keywords: BurglariesForeclosuresHousingNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Flaming, Daniel Title: Where We Sleep: Costs When Homeless and Housed in Los Angeles Summary: The central question investigated in this study is the public costs for people in supportive housing compared to similar people that are homeless. The typical public cost for residents in supportive housing is $605 a month. The typical public cost for similar homeless persons is $2,897, five-times greater than their counterparts. This finding demonstrates that practical, tangible public benefits result from providing supportive housing for vulnerable homeless individuals. The stabilizing effect of housing plus supportive care is demonstrated by a 79 percent reduction in public costs for these residents. The study encompasses 10,193 homeless individuals in Los Angeles County, 9,186 who experienced homelessness while receiving General Relief public assistance and 1,007 who exited homeless by entering supportive housing. Two different methods were used to independently verify changes in public costs when individuals are housed compared to months when they are homeless. There are six bottom line findings. 1. Public costs go down when individuals are no longer homeless. 2. Public costs for homeless individuals vary widely depending on their attributes. Young single adults 18 to 29 years of age with no jail history, no substance abuse problems or mental illness, who are not disabled cost an aver¬age of $406 a month. Older single adults 46 or more years of age with co-occurrent substance abuse and mental illness, and no recent employment history cost an average of $5,038 a month. A range of solutions is required that match the needs of different groups in the homeless population. 3. Public costs increase as homeless individuals grow older. There is a strong case for intervening early rather than deferring substantive help until problems become acute. 4. Most savings in public costs come from reductions in health care outlays – 69 percent of the savings for supportive housing residents are in reduced costs for hospitals, emergency rooms, clinics, mental health, and public health. 5. Higher levels of service for high-need individuals result in higher cost savings, as shown by the much higher savings from supportive housing compared to temporary housing, and by the higher saving for supportive housing residents in service-rich environments. 6. One of the challenges in addressing homelessness is housing retention – keeping individuals who may well be socially isolated, mentally ill and addicted from abandoning housing that has been provided for them. Details: Los Angeles: Economic Reoundtable, 2009. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.bringlahome.org/docs/Where_We_Sleep.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.bringlahome.org/docs/Where_We_Sleep.pdf Shelf Number: 120064 Keywords: HomelessnessHousing |
Author: Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and cRime Prevention Committee Title: Inquiry into the Impact of Drug-Related Offending On Female Prisoner Numbers - Interim Report Summary: The Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee and was given the mandate to examine the impact of drug-related offending on female prisoner numbers. Specifically, the committee was asked to (a) examine the impact of drug-related crime on the female prisoner population; (b) review the demographic profiles of women in custody for drug offences and the types of drug offences; (c) examine underlying causal factors which may influence drug-related offending and repeat offending that result in women entering custody; and (d) recommend strategies to reduce drug-related offending and repeat offending by women, including strategies to address underlying causal factors. Whilst the Committee was unable to complete the reference, particularly as further investigation into the recent increase in prison numbers is required, we were concerned about some of the information provided to us both in submissions and during public hearings. This evidence particularly related to the problems women face when in prison, when released from prison and their high rates of recidivism. The information provided to us was almost unanimous – the housing problem in particular being identified as a significant issue for many post-release women. Accordingly, we have made some recommendations for the post November 2010 government to consider and we hope the 57th Parliament of Victoria will make further recommendations on the other issues we have raised. Details: Melbourne: Government Printer for State of Victoria, 2010. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/Women_prisoners/Female_prisoners_inquiry_-_interim_report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/Women_prisoners/Female_prisoners_inquiry_-_interim_report.pdf Shelf Number: 120086 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeFemale InmatesFemale OffendersFemale PrisonersHousingRecidivismReentry |
Author: Markman, Joshua A. Title: Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Corporation for Supportive Housing's Pilot Program: Interim Re-Arrest Analysis Summary: In March 2007, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and the Corporation for Supportive Housing Ohio Office (CSH) developed a permanent supportive housing pilot program. The pilot was designed to house approximately 100 individuals returning from select prisons throughout Ohio to the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo communities. The 13 institutions participating in the pilot included the Allen, Chillicothe, Grafton, Hocking, London, Lorain, Madison, Marion, Pickaway, and Trumbull Correctional Institutions; the Ohio Reformatory for Women; and the Franklin and Northeastern Prerelease Centers. The pilot, funded primarily by the ODRC, but also a part of CSH’s Returning Home Initiative, has three main goals: to reduce recidivism; to reduce homelessness; and to decrease the costs associated with multiple service use across the criminal justice, housing/homelessness, and mental health service systems. The Urban Institute (UI) is evaluating the pilot to assess the impact on recidivism and residential stability and to test whether the benefits associated with the pilot outweigh its costs. The final report will be complete in summer 2012. In this paper, we report the results of an interim analysis of re-arrest for both the treatment and comparison groups, including descriptive statistics on the study sample. Details: Washington DC: Urban Institute, 2010. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412224-interim-recidivism-analysis.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412224-interim-recidivism-analysis.pdf Shelf Number: 120093 Keywords: HomelessnessHousingMental Health ServicesRecidivismReentry |
Author: Scottish Government. Communities Analytical Services Title: Domestic Abuse, Housing and Homelessness in Scotland: An Evidence Review Summary: There has been little research on the relationship between domestic abuse, housing and homelessness, especially in the Scottish context. This review provides some secondary analysis of relevant homelessness and housing statistics to provide a more in-depth overview of the scale of domestic abuse as a contributory factor to homelessness in Scotland. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government, 2010. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Analytical Paper Series: Accessed November 2, 2010 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/328505/0106198.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/328505/0106198.pdf Shelf Number: 120155 Keywords: Abused WivesDomestic ViolenceHomelessnessHousing |
Author: Quilgars, Deborah Title: Meeting the Needs of Households at Risk of Domestic Violence in England: The Role of Accommodation and Housing-Related Support Services Summary: This study explores the extent, scale and regional distribution of a wide range of housing related support for those at risk of domestic violence. It explores access to housing advice, refuge provision, other specialist accommodation, access to settled accommodation and the role of floating support. Details: London: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2010. 193p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 27, 2010 at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1778600.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1778600.pdf Shelf Number: 120286 Keywords: Abused WivesDomestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHousingVictims of Crime, Services forVictims of Family Violence |
Author: Pleace, Nicholas Title: Delivering Better Housing and Employment Outcomes for Offenders on Probation Summary: This research examined the delivery of suitable settled accommodation and paid employment for offenders on probation. The study explored good practice in counteracting homelessness and in helping offenders on probation into paid work, including the roles of education and training services and Jobcentre Plus. The research had a particular concern with the sharing of personal and sensitive information about offenders between organisations. Those practices and processes that facilitated and inhibited the proper sharing of information were a key focus of the research. The study involved fieldwork in six probation areas, a national level conference and consultation event and a small number of interviews with strategic level staff in central government. Details: London: Department for Work and Pensions, 2009. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 610: Accessed December 16, 2010 at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010/rrep610.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010/rrep610.pdf Shelf Number: 120524 Keywords: EmploymentHousingProbationers (U.K.)Reentry |
Author: Southern, Rebekah Title: Evaluation of the Prolific Offenders Resettlement through Co-ordinated Housing (PORCH) Project Summary: The Prolific Offenders Resettlement through Co-ordinated Housing (PORCH) Project was launched, following a six month developmental phase, as a pilot project in the Summer of 2006. The premise of the pilot was that the provision of appropriate accommodation and support for prolific offenders would have a positive effect on reducing their offending behaviour. Its primary aim was to reduce the number and seriousness of crimes committed by prolific offenders. Secondary and tertiary aims were to maximise the effectiveness of existing housing services and to intervene more proactively at key points including arrest, remand, sentencing and release from prison to ensure that housing needs are addressed. Since coming to power in 1997, the Labour Government has focused on crime reduction and an important element of this has been the development of the Prolific and other Priority Offender (PPO) strategy. Within the overall approach there are three complementary strands namely, ‘prevent and deter’, ‘catch and convict’ and ‘rehabilitate and resettle.’ The PORCH Project is situated within the ‘rehabilitate and resettle’ strand in relation to PPOs. Many studies have illustrated the importance of accommodation in reducing re-offending. Within the Region, the South West Reducing Reoffending Delivery Plan 2006-08 sees improving the housing outcomes of PPOs as a key priority. Thus the Project also fits within the regional agenda. This evaluation has followed the lifetime of the Project, encompassing a baseline setting, interim evaluation and final evaluation stage. This report presents the key evaluation findings from the final stage of the evaluation. Details: Plymouth, UK: SERIO, Research and Innovation, University of Plymouth, 2008. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.serio.ac.uk/resources/files/Evaluation%20of%20the%20Prolific%20Offenders%20Resettlement%20through%20Coordinated%20Housing%20PORCH%20Project.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.serio.ac.uk/resources/files/Evaluation%20of%20the%20Prolific%20Offenders%20Resettlement%20through%20Coordinated%20Housing%20PORCH%20Project.pdf Shelf Number: 120751 Keywords: Habitual Offenders (U.K.)HousingProlific OffendersReentry |
Author: Payne, Troy C. Title: Does Changing Ownership Change Crime? An Analysis of Apartment Ownership and Crime in Cincinnati. Summary: Crime at multi-family dwellings is an ongoing concern. Using concepts from environmental criminology, this dissertation adapts Madensen's (2007) model of bar place management to apartments. One aspect of this model, the relationship between ownership change of an apartment building and crime, is examined. I found that while about half of apartments change ownership during the period 2002-2009, serial ownership change is rare. Crime is heavily concentrated among apartments, with over half of crime occurring at just 10% of apartments – and these extreme values of crime tend to drive the multivariate analysis. Ownership change and crime are associated with each other in a feedback system. Ownership change is more likely at apartments with a history of past crime, and ownership change is associated with a 10% increase in future crime counts. Neighborhood context has a complex relationship with significant variation between neighborhoods in both crime counts and in the relationship between ownership change and crime. In some neighborhoods, ownership change and crime are positively related; in other neighborhoods, the relationship is negative. Even though my findings are sensitive to extreme values, methodology and model selection decisions, it is apparent that ownership change could be an important intervention point for crime prevention. Interventions such as landlord training should be targeted at high crime apartments which change ownership, while recognizing that the overwhelming majority of apartments and apartment owners have zero crime. Details: Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, School of Criminal Justice, 2010. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 14, 2011 at: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1288968354 Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1288968354 Shelf Number: 120998 Keywords: ApartmentsCrime PreventionEnvironmental CriminologyHousingPlace Management |
Author: Jacobson, Jessica Title: 'Double Trouble'? Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Offenders' Experiences of Resettlement Summary: The background to the study was the recognition of the critical importance of resettlement provision for offenders, and the evidence of continuing direct and indirect racial discrimination across the criminal justice system as a whole. The study addressed the following questions: 1 What are the major resettlement needs of offenders from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Offenders) groups? 2 How do BAME offenders’ needs differ from those of non-BAME offenders? 3 What are BAME offenders’ experiences of resettlement services? 4 Should specialist resettlement services be made available for BAME offenders? The study had two elements: first, a literature review and, second, qualitative fieldwork. The fieldwork involved semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a total of 113 BAME individuals, of whom 65 were serving prisoners, 28 were on licence and 20 were no longer on licence but had previously been in prison. In addition we conducted interviews and focus groups with 83 representatives of service providers, including prison and probation staff and staff from community and prison-based voluntary agencies. Details: York, UK: Clinks; London: Prison Reform Trust, 2010. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2011 at: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 120920 Keywords: DiscriminationEmploymentHousingPrisoner Reentry (U.K.)Race/EthnicityRacial Disparities |
Author: Great Britain. Department for Communities and Local Government Title: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour: Tools and Powers -- Toolkit for Social Landlords Summary: Anti-social behaviour and nuisance continues to be a problem in many communities, and public expectations continue to rise in relation to the role social landlords play in addressing anti-social behaviour. Recent U.K. legislation provides social landlords and their partner agencies with even greater tools and powers with which to continue to improve anti-social behaviour services. For some landlords with geographically dispersed stock, or stock in rural areas, developing a strategy that is responsive to the demands of different areas can be complex. Effective community engagement and local partnership arrangements are essential in developing an approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, that can identify and respond appropriately and proportionately to the diverse problems each area presents, and which reflects local concerns. Social landlords have a responsibility to work closely with partner agencies, local authorities, the police, residents and community organisations to tackle the cause and effect of anti-social behaviour in communities. This involves developing a holistic approach which includes multi-agency working, early intervention and prevention work, support for victims and perpetrators, as well as using the full range of enforcement tools and powers available to landlords. The key aims of the guidance are to: • Raise social landlords’ awareness of the full range of powers and tools available to them to tackle anti-social behaviour and its underlying causes • Support the delivery of an appropriate level of response to anti-social behaviour by landlords, that accurately reflects local priorities and circumstances • Assist landlords to utilise the full range of powers and enforcement tools available to them to act promptly and effectively to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour • Encourage greater community confidence in social landlords’ ability and commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour and its causes • Support partnership working between local authorities, the police, other agencies and social landlords at a local level to establish the most effective methods of managing anti-social behaviour, crime and nuisance. Details: London: Communities and Local Government, 2010. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2011 at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1530807.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1530807.pdf Shelf Number: 121087 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (U.K.)HousingNuisance Behaviors and Disorder |
Author: Hickert, Audrey O. Title: Evaluation of the Homeless Assistance Rental Program (HARP) Summary: In 2009 the Salt Lake County Community Resources and Development Division (CRDD) asked the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC) to conduct a follow-up study to their 2007 evaluation of the Homeless Assistance Rental Program (HARP). Specifically, CRDD was interested in finding out whether or not the assumptions from the first HARP study remained true (e.g., reductions in jail use, increase in treatment compliance) and if HARP continued to fulfill its goals. The 2007 HARP study examined the first 102 clients in HARP. At that time most clients were referred to HARP from Substance Abuse Services (63%), had been booked into the jail in the year prior to housing (56%), and had received financial assistance from the Department of Workforce Services (DWS) in the two years prior to housing (90%). Only 13% had involvement with Valley Mental Health (VMH). HARP provided single-bedroom units to two-thirds (63%) of clients and a median rent contribution of $454 across all clients. Median time in housing was nine (9) months for exited clients, with 36% of clients having exited the program at the time of the evaluation, and six (6) months for active clients (ranged from 1 to 22 months). Exit status was 43% negative, 19% neutral, and 38% positive. Compared to the year prior to receiving HARP housing, jail bookings dropped from 56% to 33% in the year following housing start (new charge bookings dropped from 22% to 13%). The criminal justice cost benefit indicated a $2.64 return for every dollar invested in the program, primarily due to reduced future victimization. Recommendations included improving the administration and recording of client measures (case management, Self-Sufficiency and Housing First matrices) and continuing the process of collaborating and streamlining processes across partnering agencies. The current study examines all HARP clients from inception through August 1, 2009 (N = 222) and compares them to a comparison group of homeless individuals who received a similar type of supportive housing intervention (Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) through The Road Home Shelter, N = 231). The addition of a comparison group provides some context for the outcomes observed for the HARP clients. In addition, this follow-up study allows for a larger sample, longer follow-up period, and more complete records. Details: Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah, 2010. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2011 at: http://ucjc.law.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/HARP_Final_070810.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.law.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/HARP_Final_070810.pdf Shelf Number: 121089 Keywords: Homelessness (Utah)HousingJails |
Author: Glover, Jane Title: No Fixed Abode: The Housing Struggle for Young People Leaving Custody in England Summary: The last 10 years have seen a welcome decrease in the numbers of young people entering the youth justice system and those being held in youth custody in England. However, despite significant investment, resettlement remains an intractable problem and reoffending rates are shockingly high, at 74 per cent. Research shows that having suitable accommodation arrangements in place significantly reduces the risk of reoffending. The previous Government’s Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) reported that stable accommodation can reduce offending by as much as 20 percent. Barnardo’s experience of providing floating support and supported accommodation for homeless young people, including those leaving custody, has convinced us that having the right level of support at the right time is crucial to ensuring adherence to the terms of a community licence, engaging with education and training, and accessing vital support services. Accommodation was one of the top five issues of concern for young people using Barnardo’s advocacy service inside the secure estate in 2009-10, so this research set out to examine the realities of accommodation and support for young people leaving custody and whether adaptations to statutory guidance in recent years have had any impact. We also calculated the savings that can be made if a young person is well supported on their release from custody. The report documents the journeys of five young people – Liam, Daniel, Amy, Chris and Robbie as they prepare for release and move into the community. Their stories, backed up by research interviews with professionals from the community and the secure estate, demonstrate how gaps in provision during the crucial transition from custody to the community can significantly hamper a young person’s ability to get their life back on track. This results in a costly cycle of unsuitable accommodation and offending that could have been averted. Details: Ilford, UK: Barnardo's, 2011. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/no_fixed_abode_february_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/no_fixed_abode_february_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 121142 Keywords: HousingJuvenile Offenders (U.K.)Reentry |
Author: Dillane, Jennifer Title: Evaluation of the Dundee Families Project: Final Report Summary: The Dundee Family Project was established with Urban Programme funding to assist families who are homeless or at severe risk of homelessness as a result of ‘antisocial behaviour’. Previous ways of tackling this problem were seen as expensive and ineffective. The Project is run by NCH Action for Children Scotland in partnership with Dundee Council Housing and Social Work Departments. The Project works with families deemed to have exhibited a range of anti-social behaviour, with the aim of enabling them to avoid eviction or be restored to satisfactory tenancy arrangements. This also helps to prevent the breakdown of vulnerable families, and to re-unite separated families. The Project follows a systemic approach to family difficulties and offers a range of services through individual and couple counselling, family support and group work. The service makes available support 24-hours a day all year. Staff run after-school and young persons’ group activities, while groups for adults have covered cookery, parenting skills, anger management and tenancy issues. Users access the service in 3 main ways: i. by residence in a ‘core block’ comprising accommodation for 3-4 families ii. in dispersed tenancies, iii. on an outreach basis. The staff currently consists of the following: Project Manager, 1 Depute, 7 Social Care Workers, 4 Relief Social Care Workers, 1 Administrative Assistant, and 1 Domestic. The Project established an admissions panel, which assesses referrals and reviews cases. The membership includes representatives from the Project, NCH and Dundee City Council Housing and Social Work. A Project Advisory Group was also set up to provide guidance and feedback from service users and local residents. This study of the Dundee Families Project was intended to evaluate the processes, outcomes and costs of the Project, using primarily qualitative methods. Data were gathered from case records, adult and child service users, Project staff, and key stakeholders. In addition, due to the initial controversial response by the media and local people, the views of residents in the immediate vicinity of the Project were also obtained. Finally, a partial cost benefit analysis of the Project was conducted. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Stationary Office, 2001. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Shelf Number: 121148 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Scotland)Cost-Benefit AnalysisFamiliesHomelessnessHousing |
Author: Betts, Phyllis Title: Best Practice Number Ten: Fixing Broken Windows - Strategies to Strengthen Housing Code Enforcement and Related Approaches to Community-Based Crime Prevention in Memphis Summary: Inspired by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission's vision that the quality of life in urban neighborhoods is related to crime, and that crime reduction strategies mean more than conventional law enforcement, this report examines the dynamics of the low-income housing market in Memphis neighborhoods and the performance of housing code enforcement as a tool to reduce blight. Kelling and Cole's landmark Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities (1996) argues that physical neglect and non-violent "quality of life" offenses increase fear of crime, empty neighborhoods of people who have a choice of where to live, and ultimately cede space to increasingly predatory individuals and more dangerous crimes against property and people. Like the "broken window" that remains unfixed and invites vandalism, physical neglect that is allowed to escalate and quality of life offenses that go unaddressed invite increasingly anti-social activity in urban neighborhoods. Integrating the creative understandings and evaluating the concrete crime reduction strategies that have emerged since Kelling and Wilson's original (1982) conceptualization of the broken windows phenomenon, Kelling and Cole and others argue that "problem properties" attract and aggravate criminal activity in deteriorated or declining neighborhoods. That is, neighborhood blight in the form of problem properties is "crimogenic" in that abandoned buildings, derelict vacant lots, dilapidated housing, and other neglected properties are associated with concentrations of crime. Problem properties may contribute to "hotspots" of criminal activity in that they harbor crime (e.g. the abandoned building out of which operates a drug market), or because their neglect signals a lack of care and concern, which in itself invites anti-social and criminal activity. It follows that dealing with problem properties gives communities another tool to enhance the safety of neighborhoods and the quality of life for residents. This research has three inter-related goals: 1) to enhance our understanding of the conditions that produce blighted neighborhoods and to characterize the problem as it manifests itself in Memphis; 2) to explore the potential and limitations of housing code enforcement as a strategy for countering blight, with a special emphasis on the relationship between code enforcement and the demand for affordable housing; 3) to document the code enforcement process in Memphis and evaluate new opportunities to use code enforcement as one tool in a comprehensive neighborhood-based crime reduction strategy. We conclude with a series of recommendations to strengthen the role of code enforcement and related anti-blight and community development strategies and mitigate the impact of problem properties in Memphis neighborhoods. Details: Memphis, TN: Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, 2001. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2011 at: http://cbana.memphis.edu/GenResearch/BestPracticeNumber10Fixing_Broken_Windows.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United States URL: http://cbana.memphis.edu/GenResearch/BestPracticeNumber10Fixing_Broken_Windows.pdf Shelf Number: 121152 Keywords: Broken WindowsCrime Prevention (Memphis)HousingNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Minnesota Department of Corrections Title: An Evaluation of the Institution/Community Work Crew Affordable Homes Program Summary: The Affordable Homes Program (AHP) is a prison work crew program managed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC). In coordination with local non-profit agencies, AHP trains offenders in the construction trade while they are serving time in prison. The hands-on training provided in AHP is designed to help offenders find post-release employment in the construction industry by cultivating positive work habits and marketable job skills. AHP participants are placed in 5 to 11-man work crews and are tasked with the job of building or remodeling affordable homes throughout Minnesota. Supplied with a van and tool trailer, each work crew typically works four 10-hour days per week and is supervised by a DOC employee who is a master tradesman. While working on a project, the offenders are housed close to their work sites in minimum-security units at local correctional facilities; e.g., county jails. AHP began in 1998 with approximately 10 offenders and, in 2010, has grown to approximately 45 offenders participating in the program at any given time. This report presents the results of a rigorous outcome evaluation of AHP since its beginning in 1998. In doing so, this study addressed four main questions: 1. Does AHP increase the number of affordable homes in Minnesota? 2. Does AHP impact post-release employment? 3. Does AHP reduce costs? 4. Does AHP reduce offender recidivism? Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2010. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2011 at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/12-10ICWCAHPreport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/12-10ICWCAHPreport.pdf Shelf Number: 121189 Keywords: Correctional IndustriesHousingOffender Work Programs (Minnesota)RecidivismRehabilitationVocational Training |
Author: Jacobs, Erin Title: Report on the Evaluation of the ComALERT Prisoner Reentry Program Summary: This report evaluates the ComALERT (“Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together”) program, which provides substance abuse counseling and other treatment, employment and housing services to parolees in Kings County, New York. The evaluation consists of three main parts: (1) an analysis of recidivism among ComALERT clients, studying patterns of re-arrest, re-conviction, parole violation, and re-incarceration, (2) an analysis of a survey of employment, family life, and drug use among ComALERT clients and a comparison group of Brooklyn parolees, and (3) an analysis of unemployment insurance data, containing earnings and employment information on the respondents to the survey. Among a new generation of prisoner re-entry programs around the country, ComALERT is unusual in providing a comprehensive array of services to its clients shortly after release from prison. In addition to substance abuse counseling, ComALERT offers transitional housing and employment for up to a year as well as job referral services in an effort to integrate parolees into mainstream social roles. While evaluations of prisoner re-entry programs typically focus on recidivism, our research design also aims to shed light on the employment, sobriety, and family life of the ComALERT clients. We take this broader focus in part because ComALERT is motivated to reduce recidivism particularly through treatment and employment, and partly because criminological research shows the importance of employment, family life, and sobriety to criminal desistance. To preview the main results, we find that ComALERT clients are 15% less likely to be re-arrested after two years from release from prison than a comparison group with a similar criminal history. Clients that graduate from the program are more than 30% less likely to be arrested than the comparison group. The survey data show very high employment rates among ComALERT clients and graduates, more than twice as high as a comparison group matched on criminal history and demographic characteristics. Graduates of ComALERT’s Ready Willing and Able program have especially high rates of employment. ComALERT clients also report modestly lower rates of drug and alcohol use than the control group. While these results are extremely promising, a stronger evaluation is needed. Such an evalution would involve some kind of random assignment to the program, to eliminate systematic selection as a source of the difference between the program and comparison groups. Details: Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 2007. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/western/pdfs/report_1009071.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/western/pdfs/report_1009071.pdf Shelf Number: 121663 Keywords: Employment, Ex-OffendersHousingParoleesRecidivismReentryRehabilitationSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Vermeire, Diana Tate Title: Balancing the Scales of Justice: An Exploration into How Lack of Education, Employment, and Housing Opportunities Contribute to Disparities in the Criminal Justice System Summary: At a time of growing need, California continues to slash basic safety net programs and underfund public education and other critical services. The state’s criminal justice system, however, does not turn anyone away. It has evolved into society’s catchall institution. As a result, California’s criminal justice system has experienced historic growth and a correlating mass incarceration of racial and ethnic minorities over the past 30 years. Consequently, people of color are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, and the number of women in the criminal justice system is increasing at a disproportionate rate. Systemic bias within the criminal justice system contributes to this disproportionality, but it is not the sole cause of the expansion of the system and the disparities within the system. Instead, the racial, ethnic, and gender disparities found within our criminal justice system are created in part by external socio-economic factors. External socio-economic factors, including adequate educational, employment, and housing opportunities, protect privileged individuals from contact with the criminal justice system. However, for those living in concentrated areas of poverty, especially racial and ethnic minorities, lack of access to basic necessities such as quality education, employment, and housing, increases the likelihood of criminal justice system contact. Moreover, the interventions meant to address socio-economic inequities are failing and as a result the criminal justice system is assuming the responsibilities of these failed governmental programs and agencies. With significant budget cuts for all social service institutions, the number of individuals served and the scope of available services continues to decrease. Socio-economic inequities contribute to disparities in the criminal justice system. Yet, due to a lack of data and research, it is impossible to measure the force and impact of these external factors on criminal justice system involvement and the extent to which they exacerbate the systemic and institutional bias and racism within the criminal justice system. Details: San Francisco: ACLU of Northern California and the W. Haywood Burns Institute, 2010. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2011 at: http://www.aclunc.org/docs/racial_justice/balancing_the_scales_of_justice.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.aclunc.org/docs/racial_justice/balancing_the_scales_of_justice.pdf Shelf Number: 121702 Keywords: BiasCriminal Justice Systems (California)EducationEmploymentHousingMinoritiesRacial DisparitiesSocioeconomic Status |
Author: Meade, Erica Title: Overview and Inventory of HHS Efforts to Assist Incarcerated and Reentering Individuals and their Families Summary: The purpose of this document is to help Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies know the full range of programs and services in the Department that currently address the needs of incarcerated individuals and their families and to understand what research and evaluation efforts are underway to identify evidence-based practices. Although HHS programs are not specifically targeted to incarcerated and reentering individuals and their families, many HHS programs do serve these individuals and families as part of the broader population served. Additionally, there are HHS research, demonstration, and evaluation efforts focused on this population because incarceration is an important risk factor for adult and child well-being, as well as the well-being of families and communities. The inventory that follows will facilitate stronger intra-agency collaborations to address the many needs of these individuals and families and to improve their well being. It will also serve as an information source for other Departments and our public and private sector partners. Increasing the safety, security and well-being of individuals, families and communities requires the resources of many partners. These partnerships will be stronger when all the partners know what resources are available and what activities are already in place. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2011. 126p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2011 at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/Incarceration&Reentry/Inventory/index.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/11/Incarceration&Reentry/Inventory/index.pdf Shelf Number: 121729 Keywords: Ex-OffendersFamilies of Ex-OffendersHousingReentry |
Author: Blanton, Rebecca E. Title: Unlawful Detainer Pilot Program: Report to the California Legislature Summary: Renters who remain at a property when they no longer have a legal right to reside at the location may be sued for unlawful detainer. Most often, an unlawful detainer is filed against a renter who is no longer paying rent but continues to occupy a residence. A person may also be the subject of an unlawful detainer if they commit or allow the commission of illegal activity at a rental property. The Los Angeles City Attorney developed the pilot programs under review in this report to “surgically remove” unlawful detainers who were contributing to illegal activities as a method of counteracting gang and drug problems in neighborhoods. In 1998, the California legislature passed AB 1384 (Havice, Ch. 613, Statutes of 1998). The pilot programs were based on the program design of the Los Angeles City Attorney. The legislation authorized pilot programs, in selected cities, that empower city attorneys and city prosecutors to evict nuisance tenants when landlords fail to act. The bill authorized a program that allows law enforcement organizations to assist landlords in evicting renters when the landlords fear retaliation from their tenants. Additionally, AB 1384 (Havice) established “partial eviction” provisions in California. This allows the city attorney to evict only the tenant arrested for a drug crime, leaving the “innocent” tenants in the residence. The goals of the pilot programs are to remove drug dealers from neighborhoods and to provide law enforcement with an effective and efficient option for evicting nuisance tenants. Bill AB 1384 and subsequent legislation for the unlawful detainer (U.D.) pilot programs provide for an evaluation of the program to determine if the programs are meeting these goals. This is the fifth report to the legislature on the U.D. program. Prior reports to the legislature submitted by the Judicial Council demonstrated that this program is being used, but have not fully evaluated the merits of this program. Consistent with the requirements of Chapter 613, Statutes of 2009-2010, the California Research Bureau (CRB) evaluated the 2010 data on unlawful detainer use and outcomes. CRB finds that the program is in use and is supported by the city attorneys and police officers at the pilot locations. However, current data reporting requirements limit the scope of the analysis. In this report, CRB provides the legislature with both an overview of the current program and an alternative program evaluation model to facilitate a more informative analysis in future reports. Our evaluation of the current data, along with conversations with key stakeholders, revealed several key findings. The key findings are located in Table 1. CRB found that important questions posed by the legislature and legislative staff are not currently being answered by the pilot program evaluation. Additionally, several potential benefits of the pilot programs are not currently being measured by the program evaluation. In this report, we provide key findings available with the current data and those gleaned through conversations with key stakeholders. Additionally, we provide a discussion of program evaluation and potential methods for the legislature or future research staff to answer important questions about the use and outcomes of the pilot programs. Details: Sacramento: California Research Bureau, 2010. 105p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2011 at: http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/11/Unlawful_Detainer_Pilot_Program_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/11/Unlawful_Detainer_Pilot_Program_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 121778 Keywords: Civil SanctionsDrug Offenders (California)GangsHousingNuisance Behaviors and Disorders |
Author: California. Judicial Council. Administrative Office of the Courts, Office of Court Research Title: Unlawful Detainer Pilot Program: Report to the California Legislature under Health and Safety Code Section 11571.1 and Civil Code Section 3485 Summary: In 1998, Assembly Bill 1384 ([Havice]; Stats. 1998, ch. 613) created an initial three-year unlawful detainer pilot program in cities within five former municipal court districts in the County of Los Angeles to allow city attorneys and prosecutors to seek the eviction of any person who was in violation of the nuisance or controlled substance law. The legislation, which became effective on January 1, 1999, authorized the pilot courts to issue a partial or total eviction order to remove an individual who engages in drug-related activity. AB 1384 also required the participating cities to collect specified data on their experiences under the pilot program and to file reports annually about these cases with the Judicial Council. The legislation further required the Judicial Council to submit a brief report to the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees on or before January 1, 2001, summarizing the information provided by the participating cities and evaluating the merits of the program. The Judicial Council report required under this legislation provided a summary of the program data submitted by the participating cities. Using additional information provided by the Long Beach pilot program, the report also looked into additional areas of program operations, including the type of drug violations leading to the issuing of eviction notices and the timing of the filing of unlawful detainer actions. In 2001, Assembly Bill 815 ([Havice]; Stats. 2001, ch. 431) reauthorized the pilot program for three more years, imposed more specific reporting requirements on the participating cities, and required the Judicial Council to issue another report and evaluation of the program. The Judicial Council’s report that was issued under AB 815 compiled the program data submitted by the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Based on the more specific information on program activities, the report provided an analysis of different components of each pilot program, including, among other things, the use of the pilot program provisions to accomplish partial eviction of the offending tenants. In 2004, Assembly Bill 2523 ([Frommer]; Stats. 2004, ch. 304) further extended the sunset of the pilot program to January 1, 2010, made additional augmentations to the reporting requirements, and expanded the program to include cities in Alameda and San Diego Counties. The legislation also required two additional Judicial Council reports to the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees, one on or before April 15, 2007, and the other on or before April 15, 2009, summarizing the information provided by the participating cities and evaluating the merits of the pilot program. In 2007, Assembly Bill 1013 ([Krekorian]; Stats. 2007, ch. 456) expanded the list of circumstances deemed to constitute a nuisance to include a person who commits an offense involving unlawful possession or use of illegal weapons or ammunition or who uses the premises to further that purpose. It additionally created a similar UD pilot project authorizing evictions based on such nuisance activities in the same cities covered by the original legislation, and added the city of Sacramento to the new pilot program. Details: Sacramento: Judicial Council of California, 2009. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 24, 2011 at: http://208.96.4.104/xbcr/cc/unlawful_detainer_pilot.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 121786 Keywords: Civil SanctionsDrug Offenders (California)GangsHousingNuisance Behaviors and Disorders |
Author: Stapleton, John Title: Making Toronto Safer A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Transitional Housing Supports for Men Leaving Incarceration Summary: In early 2010, the John Howard Society of Toronto commissioned a cost benefit study and analysis of Transitional Housing and supports (THS) for two types of ex-prisoners moving to the community from incarceration. The first group is comprised of homeless ex-prisoners (individuals often charged with petty theft, drug possession, public disturbances and who have no fixed address upon their release from custody. They have partially served their sentence in jail and will serve the remainder of it in the community, under supervision). The latter group is comprised of s810 sexual offenders (Section 810 peace bonds are court orders that enable the police to protect the public by requiring an individual who poses a threat to society to abide by specific conditions for up to one year and can be renewed). This proposition was to calculate the cost savings (if any) associated with the intervention of transitional housing and supports as opposed to their absence. The cost benefit study framed the intervention of THS as a public good and a service to the community as well as the ex-prisoner and assessed the benefit with all public stakeholders in mind. The latest available data was used to conduct the study. John Stapleton (Principal of Open Policy Ontario) in partnerships with Brendon Pooran and Rene Doucet (Chronicle Analytics) completed the study in November 2010. The next step is to file a funding application to the City of Toronto and to explore funding opportunities generally (with a focus on the provincial government) to expand THS. If John Howard Toronto expands the support services and access to housing for those who have been released from correctional facilities, it believes that the recidivism rate (re-offending rate) will decline. Lower recidivism is accepted as an important indicator of community safety. Details: Toronto: John Howard Society of Toronto, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://www.johnhowardtor.on.ca/pdfs/FINAL%20MAY%2031%20JohnHowardcomplete.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.johnhowardtor.on.ca/pdfs/FINAL%20MAY%2031%20JohnHowardcomplete.pdf Shelf Number: 122088 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisHomelessnessHousingRecidivismReentry (Canada) |
Author: Burgess, Gemma Title: Domestic Violence -- Assistance for Adults Without Dependent Children Summary: Anecdotal evidence has suggested that adults who are fleeing domestic violence are often not accepted as being vulnerable and having priority need, and consequently the help they get from a local authority may be limited to advice and assistance to help them secure accommodation for themselves. Concern has been expressed that such a response may put these people at risk of having to return to a violent situation. This study aimed to gather firm evidence on the extent to which adults without dependent children who have to leave their homes as a result of domestic violence, and who seek housing assistance from a local authority, receive sufficient assistance to ensure they do not have to return to accommodation where they would be at risk of violence. The study sought to consider and provide evidence on the provision of both statutory and non-statutory assistance, provided directly by local authorities and partner providers. Where adults without dependent children do not receive a response that ensures they do not have to return to accommodation where they would be at risk of violence, this study aimed to establish why this is the case, and to identify the consequences for these adults. It gathered evidence to establish whether there are any particular groups of adults who are more likely to receive appropriate help to ensure they do not have to return to accommodation where they would be at risk of violence, and whether there are particular groups who may be at greater risk of not getting the assistance they need. The four key objectives of this study were to establish: 1. Estimates of the number and circumstances of adults who have to leave their home because of a risk of violence, who seek housing assistance from a local authority and who receive sufficient assistance to ensure they do not need to return to accommodation where they would be at risk of violence. 2. Estimates of the number and circumstances of adults who have to leave their home because of a risk of violence, who seek housing assistance from a local authority and who do not receive sufficient assistance to ensure they do not need to return to accommodation where they would be at risk of violence. 3. The types of housing assistance being provided to such adults, both statutory and non statutory. 4. Where such adults are not getting the assistance they need to ensure they do not need to return to accommodation where they are at risk of violence, what are the reasons for this, and the implications? Do they, for example, return to a violent situation, or do they make alternative arrangements? Details: London: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2011. 153p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/DV%20final%20report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/DV%20final%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 122093 Keywords: Domestic Violence (U.K.)Family ViolenceHousingIntimate Partner ViolenceVictims of Domestic Violence, Services for |
Author: John Howard Society of Toronto Title: Homeless and Jailed: Jailed and Homeless Summary: Previous research has established that being homeless increases the likelihood of ending up in jail, while imprisonment increases the risk of homelessness and the length of time that homeless people spend in shelters. The number of homeless prisoners in Toronto area jails is increasing. And a small, but growing, number of men are caught in a revolving door between jails and shelters. This report explores the housing situation of adult men serving sentences in Toronto area jails, focusing on those who are homeless. These prisoners‘ housing plans on discharge, as well as their immediate and anticipated service needs in the months after release, are documented. Their residential locations are mapped in relation to selected neighbourhood characteristics. The survey results are based on interviews with 363 sentenced prisoners who have spent a minimum of five consecutive nights in custody and who are within days of scheduled release from one of four provincial correctional facilities in the Greater Toronto Area. Among this group, 22.9 percent, or roughly one of every five prisoners, was homeless when incarcerated, that is they were staying in a shelter, living on the street (in places considered unfit for human habitation), in a treatment facility, or staying at the home of a friend, paying no rent. The latter situation is a common form of hidden homelessness; if persons in that situation are excluded, in line with a more conservative definition of homelessness, a total of 19.3 percent were homeless. The average stay in custody was a little more than two months. Within days of discharge, the prisoners‘ housing plans indicate that their overall projected rate of homelessness would increase by 40 percent. Half of them plan to return to their pre-custody housing situation, even if it meant staying in a shelter, on the street, or using a friend‘s couch. Of those who were homeless before being incarcerated, the majority, 85.5 percent, anticipate being homeless again on discharge. Among prisoners who were housed before being incarcerated, 16.4 percent anticipate being homeless upon discharge. Thirteen percent of the survey respondents were homeless both before and after being incarcerated. Overall, 32.2 percent, or almost one of every three prisoners had plans upon discharge to go a shelter, live on the street, or couch-surf at the home of a friend. Another 12 percent of these prisoners are at risk of being homeless since they do not know where they will go. If these two groups are combined, a total of 44.6 percent are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This is a large, identifiable stream of people who should be targeted for assistance to reduce chronic homelessness. Analysts have pointed out repeatedly that relative to other homeless sub-groups, those who are chronically homeless have the greatest need for appropriate housing and services, an investment that would provide the largest social returns (Trypuc and Robinson 2009). Homeless prisoners are a vulnerable group – they tend to be older, 22.3 percent are 50 years of age or older. A high proportion of them, 43.3 percent, have severe health impairments. Most of them rely on income support programs, whose benefits they lose while in jail; in many cases, they must re-apply for these benefits after they are discharged. Homeless prisoners requested more types of service to deal with community re-entry than housed prisoners. Yet, almost all the prisoners (95 percent) said they needed various kinds of support. Overall, the survey respondents were only slightly more likely than the general population to have been living in low-income neighbourhoods that lack adequate services for the needs of residents. Homeless prisoners were most likely to have been living in downtown and City-designated priority neighbourhoods. Details: Toronto: John Howard Society of Toronto, 2010. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2011 at: http://media.thestar.topscms.com/acrobat/ef/6e/a2fdc45d452d8cc6e23535371b07.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://media.thestar.topscms.com/acrobat/ef/6e/a2fdc45d452d8cc6e23535371b07.pdf Shelf Number: 122110 Keywords: Homeless Persons (Toronto)HomelessnessHousingInmatesJailsPrisoners |
Author: Yvette, Emily Title: Offenders on the "Earned Release Date Housing Voucher" Program Summary: The objective of the Earned Release Date (ERD) Housing Voucher Program is to assist offenders release at or near their ERD. The aim of this report is to describe the participants of the voucher program beginning July 2009 through October 2010. This report describes the demographics of the housing voucher population, their release to the community relative to ERD, and the offenders’ recent history of homeless or transient status in the community. Additionally, this report provides an analysis of offender violations, sanctions, new offenses, and reincarceration during and after voucher funding. A comparison group comprised of offenders who did not receive housing vouchers was established in order to determine how voucher recipients differ from other offenders. The comparison group consists of offenders released during the same time period as voucher recipients. Non-voucher releases are separated into those that received supervision following release and those that did not; comparisons are between voucher recipients and supervised non-voucher releases. The distribution of demographics varies between voucher recipients and supervised non-voucher releases; voucher recipients are older and are more likely to have been convicted of a sex offense (33% vs. 12%). During 2010, voucher recipients had fewer average days past ERD than non-voucher releases (71 vs. 84 days) and contributed fewer days past ERD than non-voucher releases (42,671 vs. 54,264 days). The average length of follow up time is 274 days. Voucher recipients are more likely to report being homeless prior to incarceration and following release. Voucher recipients are more likely than supervised non-voucher releases to have a violation after release. A very small proportion of each group was convicted of new crimes during the follow up period. Overall, voucher recipients are more likely than non-voucher releases to be convicted of a new offense and to face reincarceration after release. Among offenders with at least one year of follow up, voucher funding status did not predict a new conviction or reincarceration for a new offense. This report could be improved by using a more appropriate comparison group and by incorporating other indicators of successful reentry. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington state Department of Corrections, 2011. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://doc.wa.gov/aboutdoc/measuresstatistics/docs/voucherreportrevised3.28.11.docx Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://doc.wa.gov/aboutdoc/measuresstatistics/docs/voucherreportrevised3.28.11.docx Shelf Number: 122432 Keywords: HousingParoleesPrisoner Reentry (Washington State)Recidivism |
Author: Bailey, Brenda Title: No Exit Into Homeless Still a Dream? The Housing Needs of Women Leaving Prison Summary: This discussion paper is a response to the experience of women participating in the WIPAN Mentoring Program, that matches mentors from the community with women exiting prison. Program participants reported the most difficult issue when trying to reintegrate into the community was the lack of access to suitable, long term housing. This personal experience is matched by what is known about the factors that support women reintegrating into the community – that housing is one of the most important factors. Without suitable supported housing options, women releasees are at an increased risk of cycling in and out of prison. Details: Sydney: Women in Prison Advocacy Network, 2011. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper: Accessed September 1, 2011 at: http://www.wipan.net.au/publications/WIPAN_Housing_Discussion_Paper.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.wipan.net.au/publications/WIPAN_Housing_Discussion_Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 122584 Keywords: Ex-Offenders, FemaleHousingMentoringPrisoner Reentry (Australia) |
Author: Ellen, Ingrid Gould Title: Do Foreclosures Cause Crime? Summary: The mortgage foreclosure crisis has generated increasing concerns about the effects of foreclosed properties on their surrounding neighborhoods, and on criminal activity in particular. There are a number of potential ways in which a foreclosed property might increase the payoffs to committing crime and decrease the likelihood of being caught. Reduced property maintenance by foreclosed owners may serve as a visual signal of increasing disorder and decreased monitoring by neighborhood residents. Residential turnover precipitated by foreclosure may further weaken the informal social networks that prevent crime. Vacant foreclosed properties may provide opportunities for more serious and lucrative crimes. Using point-specific, longitudinal crime, foreclosure, and other property data from New York City, this paper determines whether foreclosed properties affect criminal activity on the surrounding blockface – an individual street segment including properties on both sides of the street, looks separately at how foreclosures affect different types of crime, examines whether foreclosures that result in long-term bank owned status have larger impacts than foreclosures that are resolved by a sale to a new owner, and compares the marginal effect of additional foreclosures across neighborhoods with differing concentrations of criminal and foreclosure activity. We find that additional foreclosures on a blockface lead to additional violent crimes and public order crimes. These effects are largest when foreclosure activity is measured by the number of bank-owned properties on a blockface. We find that effects are largest in neighborhoods with lower levels of crime, and effects appear to be heightened when foreclosure activity is concentrated. Details: New York: Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University, 2011. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2011 at: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Ellen_Lacoe_Sharygin_ForeclosuresCrime_June27.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Ellen_Lacoe_Sharygin_ForeclosuresCrime_June27.pdf Shelf Number: 122727 Keywords: HousingMortgage ForeclosuresNeighborhoods and CrimeUrban Areas |
Author: Northern Illinois University. Center for Governmental Studies Title: Dubuque 2010 Study on Crime and Poverty Summary Report Summary: This study was designed to compare community perceptions of crime in Dubuque to actual crime data. The study included: 1) a public opinion survey 2) an analysis of Dubuque’s crime rates and trends over time compared to similarly sized communities in Iowa; 3) an analysis of Dubuque’s crime incidents over time, and the extent to which Section 8 housing recipients are connected to crime; 4) a review of research studies related to poverty, Section 8 housing assistance, crime, fear of crime, and crime prevention; and 5) a set of recommendations based on the research and evidence. To explore these issues, the following general research questions were posed: Do the perceptions of criminal activity and its causes in Dubuque match what is actually happening? Within categories of crime with significant increases in arrests, what policies or strategies can effectively decrease crime? If there are cases where there are community perceptions of increased criminal activity but no evidence to support the perception, what policies or strategies can effectively address the concerns? The resulting study report is complex and the authors warn throughout of various limitations with the data and analysis. NIU also states that readers are “strongly cautioned to not take singular statements, findings, maps or graphs contained in the report and examine or present them as a stand-alone finding. Rather, the analysis and report must be viewed in the full context and breadth of the examination, the totality of the findings and the broader social factors that underlie the phenomenon under study. Details: Dubuque, IA: Northen Illinois University, Center for Government Studies, 2011. 779p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2011 at: http://www.cityofdubuque.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=2742 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.cityofdubuque.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=2742 Shelf Number: 122734 Keywords: Crime and Social DisorganizationCrime DisplacementCrime Statistics (Dubuque, Iowa)HousingPovertyUrban Crime |
Author: Fontaine, Jocelyn Title: Supportive Housing for the Disabled Reentry Population: The District of Columbia Frequent Users Service Enhancement Pilot Program Summary: Using qualitative and quantitative data, this report discusses the history, performance, and progress of the District of Columbia Frequent Users Service Enhancement Pilot Program, implemented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. As a supportive housing reentry program focused on disabled individuals with histories of homelessness and incarceration, the program intended to provide housing and coordinate services for 50 "frequent users" leaving the city jail. Over the first year of operations, the program successfully identified and targeted more than a dozen frequent users and linked them to supportive housing through effective cross-system coordination. Policy implications of the evaluation findings are discussed. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2011. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 17, 2012 at: Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 123638 Keywords: DisabilityHomeless PersonsHousingPrisoner Reentry (Washington, DC) |
Author: Niven, Stephen Title: Jobs and homes - a survey of prisoners nearing release Summary: 2,011 prisoners in the last three weeks of their sentence were interviewed in November and December 2001 about their expectations concerning employment, training and housing after release. The main aim of the survey was to identify the proportion of prisoners expecting to take up employment or training soon after release. It also examined related factors such as previous employment, qualifications, housing plans and activities in prison. This Findings summarises the key results of this ‘Resettlement Survey’. Details: London: Home Office, 2002. 4p. Source: Findings 173: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 31, 2012 at Year: 2002 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 123913 Keywords: EmploymentHousingPrisoner ReentryReentry (U.K.)Reintegration, Offenders |
Author: Congdon-Hohman, Joshua Title: The Lasting Effects of Crime: The Relationship of Discovered Methamphetamine Laboratories and Home Values Summary: This study estimates a household’s willingness to pay to avoid the stigma of crime while minimizing concerns of omitted variable bias. By assuming methamphetamine producers locate approximately at random within a narrowly defined neighborhood, this study is able to use hedonic estimation methods to estimate the impact of the discovery of a methamphetamine laboratory on the home values near that location. Specifically, the analysis designates those closest to the site as the treated, while those slightly farther away act as the comparison group. The discovery of a methamphetamine laboratory has a significant effect on the property values of those homes close to the location that peaks from six to 12 months after each lab’s discovery. The estimates found in this study range from a decrease in sale prices of ten to nineteen percent in the year following a laboratory’s discovery compared to the prices for homes that are farther away but still in the same neighborhood. Surprisingly, the impact does not appear to depend on intensity as both the discovery of a second lab and being very close to the discovered lab do not adversely impact home values. Details: Worcester, MA: Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross, 2011. 34p. Source: Faculty Research Series, Paper No. 11-14: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2012 at http://college.holycross.edu/RePEc/hcx/Congdon_MethLabs.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://college.holycross.edu/RePEc/hcx/Congdon_MethLabs.pdf Shelf Number: 124544 Keywords: EconomicsHousingMethamphetamine |
Author: Gauci, Jean-Pierre Title: Racism in Europe: ENAR Shadow Report 2010-2011 Summary: The aim of ENAR’s Shadow Report on racism in Europe is to provide a civil society perspective on the situation of racism and related discrimination in Europe between March 2010 and March 2011. In view of the 2011 International Year of People of African Descent, this report gives special attention to the ways in which racism and racial discrimination impact the lives of this particular group across Europe. The communities most vulnerable to racism and racial and/or religious discrimination in Europe are various and remain largely similar to those reported in previous Shadow Reports. Key among the communities most affected are people of African descent, black Europeans, migrants (both EU and third country nationals), Roma, Muslims and Jews. A number of national reports also highlight specific communities who are especially vulnerable. There appears to be a link between the vulnerability and experience of discrimination, visible characteristics of difference, and the public’s perception of these characteristics. Further distinctions exist between visible minorities (including nationals of ethnic minority backgrounds) and status minorities (those whose legal status places them in a particularly disadvantaged situation in the country). In the context of employment, some of the key concerns related to minorities and migrants include: unemployment rates, difficulties in the acquisition of relevant documentation and recognition of qualifications, language and cultural barriers, discrimination in recruitment processes, the glass ceiling effect within employment, and unequal working conditions. Particularly at a time of economic downturn, ethnic minorities and migrants have been disproportionately affected by both unemployment and precarious working conditions. Issues faced in the context of housing and accommodation include difficulties in the private rental market, in accessing public housing and funds or loans to purchase property, poor living conditions and overcrowding, discrimination by homeless shelter staff, housing segregation, and a lack of awareness of rights and obligations. Discrimination in education takes a variety of forms, including structural concerns, such as segregation and discrimination by teachers, and more personal concerns, such as language barriers and bullying at the hands of peers. The result is poorer educational attainment by many members of ethnic minorities and migrants and over-representation among early school leavers. Manifestations of racism and related discrimination are also notable in the field of healthcare and include prejudice by staff and patients, significantly lower health outcomes (including greater prevalence of certain chronic conditions), language and cultural barriers, as well as legal challenges (especially in the case of migrants). In terms of access to goods and services, access to bars and places of entertainment, to financial services and to public transport continues to be highlighted as being particularly problematic. In the context of criminal justice, ethnic minorities are more likely to be stopped and searched, to be arrested and prosecuted, and are disproportionately represented in prisons. Ethnic profiling is also carried out in the context of counter-terrorism, causing alienation and frustration among ethnic and religious minorities. Moreover, ethnic minorities are victims of racist violence and crimes of various forms; their complaints are often ignored or not taken seriously by the relevant authorities. Another concern is underreporting by victims of racist violence due to lack of trust in the police and fears linked to migrant status and/or further victimisation, In the context of the media, some of the key problems continue to be inaccurate reporting, negative and/or lack of representation of ethnic minorities, the use of an ‘us versus them’ rhetoric, as well as the promotion of racism on the internet, especially through social media. People of African descent face discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice in employment, housing, healthcare, education, access to goods and services, criminal justice, and the media. Their visibility heightens their vulnerability to discrimination. Whilst most manifestations of discrimination are not particularly targeted at people of African descent, they do tend to be disproportionately affected by these manifestations. Moreover, in a context of rampant prejudice, visibility and perception of ethnic minority status appear to outplay other considerations including nationality and status. Finally, the report provides an overview of some of the key legal and political developments in the fields of anti-racism and anti-discrimination as well as migration and integration. Details: Brussels: European Network Against Racism (ENAR), 2012. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2012 at http://cms.horus.be/files/99935/MediaArchive/publications/shadow%20report%202010-11/shadowReport_EN_final%20LR.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://cms.horus.be/files/99935/MediaArchive/publications/shadow%20report%202010-11/shadowReport_EN_final%20LR.pdf Shelf Number: 124636 Keywords: Criminal JusticeEducationEmploymentHealth CareHousingRacial Discrimination (Europe)Racism (Europe) |
Author: Kester, Kyra Title: Housing Sex Offenders in the Community; Results of a Literature Search Conducted for the Washington State Sex Offender Policy Board Summary: The primary issue in investigating housing for sex offenders returning to the community is that little research exists that demonstrates the specific effect of housing on sex offender transition. This is not to say that there is no evidence at all regarding sex offender housing, rather that it is too indiscrete (housing is one of many social support or environmental issues linked together) and there is simply too little altogether to be a compelling body of evidence. Research on sex offender housing does little to depict the availability of housing generally in a community nor to demonstrate a relationship between homelessness and sex offense recidivism. Analysis also suffers from the heterogeneity of sex offenders and the scarcity of longitudinal study. Lacking a compelling body of empirical data addressing the topic, policy makers rely on “evidence” regarding the importance of housing in sex offender transition from: • General correlations between housing and crime or housing and offender transitions. According to the Justice Policy Institute, of the ten states that spent the largest proportion of their total expenditures on housing, all ten had re‐incarceration rates lower than the national average. A study of offenders leaving an Illinois correctional institution for structured housing found a 30 percent reduction in recidivism compared to offenders not in the program. And California’s efforts to provide housing for the mentally ill observed a reduction in days of incarceration (and increase in days of full employment.) • The testimony provided by sex offenders themselves, who regularly cite a lack of housing as one of the difficulties they face on release from prison. How severe this problem appears to be relative to other problems reported by transitioning sex offenders varies, particularly among regions. This is not surprising given considerable differences in social‐political attitudes that would affect the likely reception and support of sex offenders in American communities. Economic stresses, climate, transit and housing availability will be significantly different among regions as well. • Theories such as social disintegration, which profiles environmental conditions that are conducive to crime and therefore to recidivism. When sex offenders are faced with housing limitations they may be more likely to find themselves in socially disrupted neighborhoods, heightening the risk of reoffending. How well social disintegration pertains to sex offenses, however, is not well documented. The theory began as an analysis of juvenile delinquency and remains most often applied to general lawlessness. No psychological information yet connects to the specific crimes of the sex offender. Initial studies are intriguing, and further inquiry may clarify the community characteristics that correlate with high or low sex offender recidivism. Still, the conditions of release that now exist for sex offenders in the community are such that housing dilemmas must result. Whether or not the suspect conditions prove to be critical to recidivism, sex offenders certainly do face obstacles to finding accommodation, which is a logical component of reintegration into a community. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State University, Social & Economic Sciences Research Center-Puget Sound Division, 2009. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed April 6, 2012 at: http://www.ilvoices.com/media//DIR_109112/e8cdcb74bf2b54beffff8825ffffe415.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ilvoices.com/media//DIR_109112/e8cdcb74bf2b54beffff8825ffffe415.pdf Shelf Number: 124880 Keywords: HousingPrisoner ReentrySex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Title: Searching Out Solutions: Constructive Alternatives to the Criminalization of Homelessness Summary: In recent years, the United States has seen the proliferation of local measures to criminalize “acts of living” laws that prohibit sleeping, eating, sitting, or panhandling in public spaces. City, town, and county officials are turning to criminalization measures in an effort to broadcast a zero-tolerance approach to street homelessness and to temporarily reduce the visibility of homelessness in their communities. Although individuals experiencing homelessness should be afforded the same dignity, compassion, and support provided to others, criminalization policies further marginalize men and women who are experiencing homelessness, fuel inflammatory attitudes, and may even unduly restrict constitutionally protected liberties. Moreover, there is ample evidence that alternatives to criminalization policies can adequately balance the needs of all parties. Community residents, government agencies, businesses, and men and women who are experiencing homelessness are better served by solutions that do not marginalize people experiencing homelessness, but rather strike at the core factors contributing to homelessness. Criminalization policies are costly and consume substantial state and local resources. In today’s economic climate, it is important for state, county, and local entities to invest in programs that work rather than spend money on activities that are unlikely to achieve the desired result and which may, in some cases, open the jurisdiction to liability. In addition to the increase in public resources used to carry out these criminalization measures, Individuals who are arrested or fined for “act of living” crimes in public spaces now have a criminal record; resulting in barriers to work, and difficulty in receiving mainstream services and housing that often bar individuals with criminal histories. These policies are a temporary solution to street homelessness and create greater barriers for these individuals to exit homelessness successfully, providing neither a permanent or sustainable solution to homelessness. The federal government has an important responsibility to provide leadership, share best practices, and provide technical support to localities in their efforts to find constructive ways of addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. Specifically, the 2009 HEARTH Act charged the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) with “develop[ing] alternatives to laws and policies that prohibit sleeping, eating, sitting, resting, or lying in public spaces when there are no suitable alternatives, result in the destruction of property belonging to people experiencing homelessness without due process, or are selectively enforced against people experiencing homelessness.” One of the strategies of Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is to reduce criminalization of homelessness by defining constructive approaches to address street homelessness and considering incentives to urge cities to adopt these practices. The alternatives to criminalization policies identified in this report have been effective in reducing and preventing homelessness in several cities around the country. These solutions can be relatively inexpensive to implement, result in overall cost-savings, and have a lasting positive impact on the quality of life for individuals experiencing homelessness and the larger community. Details: Washington, DC: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2012. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2012 at: http://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/RPT_SoS_March2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/RPT_SoS_March2012.pdf Shelf Number: 125307 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorHomeless People, Zero ToleranceHomelessness (U.S.)Housing |
Author: Fontaine, Jocelyn Title: Housing as a Platform for Formerly Incarcerated Persons Summary: This policy framing paper is one of three that explores the potential for housing combined with support services to create better outcomes for vulnerable populations. The U.S. population of formerly incarcerated individuals has increased dramatically over the past decade, resulting in sweeping consequences to individuals and families, communities, safety, and public spending. Against the backdrop of these reentry challenges, this paper discusses how housing can be a platform or pathway toward more successful reentry and reintegration for formerly incarcerated persons. The authors then identify research needed to inform policymakers and practitioners in meeting the housing and service needs of this at-risk group. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2012. 23p. Source: What Works Collaborative Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2012 at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412552-Housing-as-a-Platform-for-Formerly-Incarcerated-Persons.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412552-Housing-as-a-Platform-for-Formerly-Incarcerated-Persons.pdf Shelf Number: 125354 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHousingReentryReintegration, Offenders |
Author: National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty Title: Criminalizing Crisis: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities Summary: Since the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) and the National Coalition for the Homeless released their last report on the criminalization of homelessness, Homes Not Handcuffs, in July 2009, the housing and homelessness crisis in the United States has deepened significantly. In its 2010 survey of 27 large cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors observed that 52 percent of cities have seen in increase in overall homelessness, while 58 percent have seen an increase in family homelessness. Further, across the surveyed cities, an average of 27 percent of homeless people were turned away from emergency shelter due to lack of space. Despite the fact that communities all over the country lack adequate affordable housing and shelter space, cities are continuing to penalize people forced to live on our streets and in public spaces. Criminalization measures often prohibit activities like as sleeping/camping, eating, sitting, and/or begging in public spaces and include criminal penalties for violations of these laws. Some cities have even enacted restrictions that punish groups and individuals for serving food to homeless people. Many of these measures appear to be designed to move homeless persons out of sight, or even out of a given city. Criminalizing Crisis, the Law Center’s tenth report on the criminalization of homelessness, provides an overview of the criminalization measures in place across the country, as well as guidance on how advocates can combat them and promote more constructive alternatives. The report summarizes the results of a national survey by the Law Center on the enforcement of criminalization measures across the country, as well as a survey of the particular laws in place in 234 cities and the changes in those laws since our 2009 report. Criminalizing Crisis reviews the costs and other impacts of criminalization and includes recommendations for policy change. The report concludes that criminalization measures do nothing to solve the problem of homelessness. Instead, they frequently perpetuate homelessness, place unnecessary burdens on our criminal justice system, and violate homeless individuals’ civil and human rights. The report’s comprehensive Advocacy Manual provides guidance and tools for advocates. Details: Washington, DC: National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 2011. 208p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 6, 2012 at: http://www.nlchp.org/content/pubs/11.14.11%20criminalization%20report%20&%20advocacy%20manual,%20final1.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.nlchp.org/content/pubs/11.14.11%20criminalization%20report%20&%20advocacy%20manual,%20final1.pdf Shelf Number: 125485 Keywords: Homeless Persons (U.S.)HomelessnessHousingPoverty |
Author: Ellen, Ingrid Gould Title: Memphis Murder Mystery Revisited: Do Housing Voucher Households Cause Crime? Summary: In recent years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has greatly increased the absolute and relative size of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV or “voucher”) program. In 1980, the traditional public housing program was almost twice the size of the HCV program; by 2008, the voucher program was almost twice the size of public housing program. There were 2.2 million vouchers nationwide in 2008, compared to 1.2 million public housing units. Although the academic and policy communities have welcomed this shift, community opposition to vouchers can be fierce (Galster et al. 2003). Local groups often express concern that voucher recipients will both reduce property values and heighten crime. Hanna Rosin gave voice to the latter worries in her widely-read article, “American Murder Mystery,” published in the Atlantic Magazine in August 2008. Despite the publicity, however, there is virtually no research that systematically examines the link between the presence of voucher holders in a neighborhood and crime. Our paper aims to do just this, using longitudinal, neighborhood-level crime and voucher utilization data in 10 large U.S. cities. We use census tracts to represent neighborhoods. The heart of the paper is a set of regression models of census tract-level crime that test whether the presence of additional voucher holders leads to elevated rates of crime, controlling for census tract fixed effects—which capture unobserved, pre-existing differences between neighborhoods that house large numbers of voucher households and those that do not, trends in crime in the city or broader sub-city area in which the neighborhood is located, and in some models, time-varying census tract characteristics such as the extent of other subsidized housing and demographic characteristics. We also test for the possibility that causality is reversed and that voucher holders tend to settle in higher crime areas. In brief, we find no evidence that an increase in the number of voucher holders in a tract leads to more crime. We do find that crime in a year tends to be higher in census tracts with more voucher households that year, but that positive relationship disappears after we control for crime trends in the broader sub-city area. There is some evidence for the reverse causal story, however. That is, the number of voucher holders in a neighborhood tends to increase in tracts with rising crime, suggesting that voucher holders are more likely to move into neighborhoods where crime rates are increasing. Details: New York: New York University School of Law, Wagner School of Public Service and Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, 2011. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 26, 2012 at: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Memphis_murder_mystery.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Memphis_murder_mystery.pdf Shelf Number: 125783 Keywords: HousingHousing VouchersNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Lens, Michael C. Title: Neighborhood Crime Exposure Among Housing Choice Voucher Households Summary: Given a choice to move, do voucher holders successfully locate in neighborhoods with greater public safety? Housing Choice Vouchers provide tenants with opportunities to obtain affordable housing in higher quality neighborhoods, yet evidence suggests that they rarely take advantage of such opportunities by moving to lower-poverty neighborhoods. Using census tract-level crime and subsidized housing data for 91 large cities in 2000, the researchers compare the neighborhood crime rates of voucher holders to those of public housing, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and unassisted poor renter households. The researchers also examine longitudinal crime data from seven cities at the census tract level, allowing them to observe changes in crime exposure from 1998 to 2008. The results suggest that from 1998 to 2008 exposure of voucher holders to neighborhood crime improved considerably in seven sample cities. However, gains in safety are not attributed to voucher households moving to lower crime neighborhoods. Rather, the more significant cause is that the safety levels of the neighborhoods where voucher holders live improved more than those of other neighborhoods. The researchers find that voucher households occupied neighborhoods that were about as safe as the average poor renter household, and with much lower crime rates than those of assisted tenants of place-based programs (i.e., the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and public housing programs) in the same cities. Although voucher holders selected much safer neighborhoods than those of other subsidized households, they did not select lower poverty neighborhoods. This result suggests that voucher households simply may care more about safety levels than about poverty rates. At the very least, it suggests that neighborhood poverty rates do not perfectly capture underlying neighborhood conditions. Public safety outcomes of voucher holders are found to differ on the basis of race and ethnicity. Consistent with other studies, black voucher households lived in neighborhoods with higher crime rates than other voucher holders. Yet their neighborhoods were considerably safer than those of poor black households and black renters. This was not the case for white and Hispanic voucher holders, suggesting that the voucher program may be more successful in helping black households reach safer neighborhoods than it is in helping white and Hispanic households reach lower crime communities. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 2011. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Assisted Housing Research Cadre Report; Accessed July 26, 2012 at: http://www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/Lens_NeighborhoodCrime_AssistedHousingRCR08.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/Lens_NeighborhoodCrime_AssistedHousingRCR08.pdf Shelf Number: 125784 Keywords: HousingHousing VouchersNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Ellen, Ingrid Gould Title: American Murder Mystery Revisited: Do Housing Voucher Households Cause Crime? Summary: Potential neighbors often express worries that Housing Choice Voucher holders heighten crime. Yet no research systematically examines the link between the presence of voucher holders in a neighborhood and crime. Our paper aims to do just this, using longitudinal, neighborhoodlevel crime and voucher utilization data in 10 large U.S. cities. We test whether the presence of additional voucher holders leads to elevated rates of crime, controlling for neighborhood fixed effects and either time-varying neighborhood characteristics or trends in the broader sub-city area in which the neighborhood is located. In brief, crime tends to be higher in census tracts with more voucher households, but that positive relationship disappears after we control for existing trends. We find far more evidence for the reverse causal story; voucher use in a neighborhood increases in tracts with rising crime, suggesting that voucher holders tend to move into neighborhoods where crime rates are increasing. Details: New York: New York University School of Law, Wagner School of Public Service and Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 26, 2012 at: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/American_Murder_Mystery_Revisited.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/American_Murder_Mystery_Revisited.pdf Shelf Number: 125782 Keywords: HousingHousing VouchersNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Van Zandt, Shannon Title: The Effect of Housing Choice Voucher Households on Neighborhood Crime: Longitudinal Evidence from Dallas Summary: Tenant-based housing assistance is designed to provide access for low-income households to a wider range of housing options, de-concentrating poverty and reducing the exposure of these households to negative conditions. Yet an observed coincidence of crime and subsidized households indicates that something is going wrong. Either households are constrained in their choices and are settling in high-crime neighborhoods, or these households bring crime with them, using vouchers to penetrate otherwise low-crime neighborhoods. We use longitudinal data from Dallas to assess whether changes in the number of HCV households are related to changes in crime, not just whether HCV households are present in high-crime neighborhoods. The evidence supports the hypothesis that observed relationships between crime and HCV households results from a lack of units that accept vouchers in areas that have lower levels of crime. The hypothesis that voucher holders are the cause of increases in neighborhood crime is not supported. Details: College Station, TX: College of Architexture, Texas A&M University, 2009. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Sustainable Housing Research Unit (SHRU) Working Paper 09-01; Accessed July 26, 2012 at: http://urbanplanningblog.com/papers/HCV%20Crime%202008.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://urbanplanningblog.com/papers/HCV%20Crime%202008.pdf Shelf Number: 125786 Keywords: HousingHousing VouchersNeighborhoods and Crime (Texas) |
Author: Helmholdt, Nicholas Gerald Title: Neighborhood Effects of Physical Interventions to Abandoned Housing Summary: Many communities are facing new challenges due to the foreclosure crisis in terms of code enforcement and community stabilization. Older, industrial cities have been dealing with the effects of housing abandonment for many years. Previous studies have collected the best practices and prevailing trends for interventions to vacant and abandoned properties. Theoretical and quantitative evidence suggests that abandoned properties pose serious threats to the health and safety of surrounding neighborhoods. This study attempts to evaluate whether the physical interventions performed to abandoned homes can abate these adverse consequences. A survey of code enforcement officers in large, American cities along with Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis were performed to see this goal. The results suggest that maintenance interventions are able to abate neighborhood rates of fire and crime incidence to a much greater degree than demolition. This study is exploratory in nature and further research will be needed to quantify and better understand these results. Details: Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 2009. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed August 3, 2012 at: http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/13804?mode=full Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/13804?mode=full Shelf Number: 125848 Keywords: Abandoned PropertiesCode EnforcementHousingNeighborhoods and CrimeUrban Areas |
Author: Armitage, Rachel Title: Re‐evaluating Secured by Design (SBD) Housing In West Yorkshire Summary: The report presents the findings of a re‐evaluation of SBD housing within West Yorkshire conducted between January and March 2009. The research builds upon the original evaluation of SBD housing in West Yorkshire, which was conducted in 1999. The project utilised a variety of methods to collect the data presented within the report. These were: A review of the literature relating to SBD and the principles upon which it is based; An analysis of police recorded crime on three separate samples. The aim of this section of the report was to establish whether SBD estates experience less crime than their non‐SBD counterparts. 1) SBD Versus West Yorkshire (16 SBD developments compared with West Yorkshire as a whole); 2) Same Street Analysis (11 developments which contained both SBD and non‐SBD properties) and 3) Matched Pairs Analysis (16 SBD and 16 non‐SBD matched pairs located as close as possible to each other. An analysis of self‐reported crime, disorder and fear of crime on 16 SBD and 16 non‐SBD matched pairs in an attempt to establish whether SBD residents experience less self reported experiences, fears and perceptions of crime and disorder than their non‐SBD counterparts. Visual audits at 16 SBD and 16 non‐SBD sites in an attempt to establish whether SBD estates experience less visual signs of disorder than their non‐ SBD counterparts. Re‐visiting a sample of two developments from the original (1999) evaluation to establish whether the performance of SBD has improved, deteriorated or remained the same. The results were extremely positive with the findings from each strand of the analysis suggesting that SBD developments outperform their non‐SBD counterparts in terms of the reduction of crime, fear of crime and visual signs of disorder. Details: Huddersfield, UK: University of Huddersfield, 2009. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2012 at: http://www.fldoca.com/meeting/Re-evaluating-SBD-Housing-in-West-Yorks.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.fldoca.com/meeting/Re-evaluating-SBD-Housing-in-West-Yorks.pdf Shelf Number: 125950 Keywords: Design Against CrimeDisorder and CrimeHousingNeighborhoods and CrimeSecured by Design (U.K.)Situational Crime PreventionUrban Areas |
Author: Scottish Government, Communities Analytical Services Title: A Thematic Review of Literature on the Relationship Between Neighbourhoods, Housing and Crime Summary: Summary • The relationship between housing, neighbourhoods and crime is best represented within neighbourhood effects research. This refers to the idea that effects are not a result of the characteristics of families and individuals who live in particular areas; rather, there is an additional area related effect which results from concentrated disadvantage. • Indirect neighbourhood effects include such aspects as criminal behaviour and social disorder. • Other research suggests that, contrary to neighbourhood effects, individual and family characteristics are more important in determining life chances and outcomes. • Collective efficacy, defined as social cohesion amongst neighbours, relates to neighbourhood cohesion and is considered by some to be a strong indicator of the level of crime and disorder in particular localities. It follows from this that strategies which enhance collective efficacy may have some impact on reducing some types of crime and disorder. • Neighbourhood effects research has led to a range of initiatives to tackle the relationship between neighbourhoods and crime, for example, community regeneration. • Housing and regeneration are important areas in the Scottish Government’s priorities for law, order and public safety, through strategies which seek to enhance community safety and regeneration. • Some UK research, such as the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, suggests that the characteristics of the neighbourhoods in which young people live have some influence on delinquent and drug using behaviour, but that individual characteristics are also important. • Several schools of crime prevention through environmental design have developed, focusing primarily on architecture, housing construction and street layout. • Higher numbers of property and violent crimes have been found in areas with higher levels of deprivation, and the risk of being a victim of crime for those living in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland is greater than for those living in the rest of Scotland. • Some research questions whether there is justification for the widespread adoption of policies to increase neighbourhood social mix, since this can result in physical segregation and a segregationalist attitude amongst residents. • The relationship between housing and crime for offender groups, including high risk offenders, has been increasingly recognised as a significant factor in reducing reoffending, with joined up working pursued as the most effective way to achieve this and to increase public safety. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Analytical Paper Series: Accessed August 16, 2012 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/chma/marketcontextmaterials/housesandcrime Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/supply-demand/chma/marketcontextmaterials/housesandcrime Shelf Number: 126049 Keywords: Collective EfficacyHousingNeighborhoods and Crime |
Author: Monchuk, Leanne Title: Re-evaluating the Secured by Design (SBD) scheme 10 years on Summary: Secured by Design (SBD) is an award scheme which aims to encourage housing developers to design out crime at the planning stage. The scheme is managed by the Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Reduction Initiatives Limited (ACPO CPI Ltd.) whilst the day-to-day delivery of the scheme is conducted by Architectural Liaison Officers (ALOs) or Crime Prevention Design Advisors (CPDAs) working for individual police forces throughout the United Kingdom. The scheme sets standards for compliance which developments must meet to be awarded SBD status. This paper presents the findings of research conducted over a ten-year period (1999 to 2009) into the effectiveness of the SBD scheme as a crime reduction measure. Utilising a variety of methods, the research aims to establish whether residents living within SBD developments experience less crime and fear of crime than their non-SBD counterparts. Whether SBD developments show less visual signs of crime and disorder than their non-SBD counterparts, and finally, whether properties built to the SBD standard are able to sustain any crime reduction benefits over a ten-year period. Details: Huddersfield, UK: University of Huddersfield. Source: Presentation: Available at Don M. Gottfredson Library of Criminal Justice, Acc. # 126076. Year: 0 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 126076 Keywords: Design Against CrimeDisorder and CrimeHousingNeighborhoods and CrimeSecured by Design (U.K.)Situational Crime PreventionUrban Areas |
Author: Howard League for Penal Reform Title: Young, Adult and No Support: The Entitlements of Young Adults to Care in the Community Summary: Since 2002 the Howard League has provided a legal service to children in prison. In 2007 the Howard League expanded its service to provide the only dedicated legal service for young adults in prison. ‘Young adults’ are defined by the prison service as a prisoner between the ages of 18 and 20 years. This report is produced by the Howard League’s young adult legal team based on the experience and evidence from our casework. Our young adult team undertake groundbreaking work which begins to assert and clarify the rights and entitlements of this neglected and ignored group. A considerable part of our work has focused on ensuring that there is an appropriate and detailed plan for the young person when she or he returns to the community. This transition is known as ‘resettlement’ and the right plan can be critical to obtaining release from custody and a safe return to the community. This publication is intended to be a guide for any practitioners who work with vulnerable young adults. We hope that this will be a useful guide for people to understand the rights and entitlements of young adults and assist in enabling practitioners to promote access to suitable support for young adults. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2010. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 27, 2012 at: http://www.t2a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Howard-League-Young-Adult-and-No-support.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.t2a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Howard-League-Young-Adult-and-No-support.pdf Shelf Number: 126121 Keywords: HomelessnessHousingPrisoner ReentryResettlementYoung Adult Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Aston, Elizabeth Title: Evaluation of Glasgow Housing Association's Youth Diversionary Programme Summary: Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), in addition to its role in social housing provision, is engaged in a wider range of activities intended to promote safe, inclusive and sustainable environments and enhance tenant and resident wellbeing. GHA co-funds these activities principally through its Wider Action Fund (WAF), working in partnership with tenants and homeowners, local housing organisations (LHOs) and other registered social landlords (RSLs) and a range of other agencies. Youth diversionary projects are one dimension of the WAF programme, others include health improvement, employability, and financial inclusion initiatives. Youth diversionary projects supported by GHA vary in terms of their aims, scope, coverage, content and stage of development and range from strategic partnerships at national and citywide level to more localised level initiatives. To assist with funding decisions in this area and to build an evidence base, GHA commissioned an evaluation of a selection of its youth diversionary programmes in 2007. This evaluation was conducted between October 2007 and November 2008 as a nested study within the wider GoWell research programme. The evaluation combined qualitative and quantitative research methods, studying three youth diversionary projects with different characteristics. The evaluation comprised of interviews and focus groups with project participants, local residents and stakeholders (both directly involved in the projects and others). The evaluation also involved a survey of participants and the analysis of several sources of secondary data on crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB). This incorporation of the views of local residents, young people, and project stakeholders on the performance and effects of the projects is a particular strength of the evaluation. From the 22 Youth Diversionary projects run by GHA we selected three to study in detail: Operation Reclaim (OR): Operating in five sites across the North-East of the city since summer 2007 providing coached sporting and physical activities for large numbers of young people, plus mentoring support for education, training and progression towards employment. Participate (P8): Operating in the Shawbridge Estate in the South-West of the city since January 2008 providing individual level support for personal, social and educational development to ten ‘disaffected’ young people. Jedworth Avenue (JA): Operating in the Drumchapel Estate in the North-West of the city, completing in summer 2007 providing individual level activities for six young offenders, including cognitive behavioural therapy and training opportunities. Details: Glasgow: Glasgow Community Health and Wellbeing Research and Learning Programme, 2010. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2012 at: Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 126164 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorAt-Risk Youth (U.K.)Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDisorderly ConductDiversion, JuvenilesHousingSports |
Author: Parr, Sadie Title: Anti-social Behaviour Intensive Family Support Projects: An Evaluation of Six Pioneering Projects Summary: The Government’s strategy to develop sustainable solutions to anti-social behaviour (ASB) is based on a ‘twin track’ approach involving both action to address the underlying causes of problem behaviour and the use of appropriate sanctions to support and protect the wider community. This report addresses the former of these concerns and presents the findings from a two-year evaluation of six Intensive Family Support Projects (IFSPs) pioneering a new way of working to support ASB ‘perpetrators’ to change their behaviour. The research, funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, now the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), was undertaken by a team of specialist researchers at Sheffield Hallam University. The study draws on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the six intensive family support projects in terms of effectiveness, costs and benefits and lessons for wider dissemination. During 2003, six pioneering local authorities, working closely with housing associations and charities, established a number of dedicated ASB intensive family support projects. While each of the schemes was developed in response to locallyidentified needs, they share a number of common features: • All the projects formed part of local well developed, comprehensive ASB strategies that recognised the inter-related nature of prevention, enforcement and resettlement action and have been designed specifically to help support families, who have been evicted, or who are under threat of homelessness, due to ASB displayed by themselves or visitors to their homes, change their behaviour. • The project interventions aim to break the cycle of poor behaviour and homelessness; bringing families back into mainstream housing; helping children and young people who are perceived to be out of control; and/or providing an alternative solution where other ASB interventions have failed. • The model of provision is based on the work developed by the Dundee Families Project run by NCH in partnership with Dundee City Council (Dillane, 2001). Projects provide a range of services including some or all of the following types of intervention: – outreach support to help families address behavioural and other problems in order to maintain their existing accommodation; – outreach support in dispersed tenancies managed by the project; – intensive support in core residential accommodation managed by the project. Five of the six projects have been developed by NCH (North West) in partnership with authorities in Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Manchester, Oldham and Salford, to deliver an outreach, preventative service to reduce the dependency on legal remedies to tackle ASB exhibited by families. Services provided in Bolton and Manchester also include a core residential unit for families considered to be in need of more intensive support and it is proposed that a further core residential unit will be opened in Salford during 2006/07. The sixth project included in the evaluation was established by Sheffield City Council. The dedicated ASB high support service provides both core residential accommodation and dedicated outreach support mainly to families living in dispersed tenancies. Sheffield City Council is thought to be the first local authority in the country to develop this type of intervention and its inclusion in the evaluation provides an opportunity to explore the impact of different models of service provision. The findings in the report are based on an analysis of statistical data collected from project case files in relation to 2562 families, consisting of 370 adults and 743 children, who had worked with the six projects during the period 2003-2005. This quantitative data have been supplemented by qualitative data drawn from interviews with a sample of service users (both adults and children), project staff, referral agencies, and other key stakeholders. Detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of the projects has also been facilitated by scrutiny of project records and accounts. Details: London: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2006. 188p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 1, 2012 at: Year: 2006 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 126215 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (U.K.)Disorderly ConductFamily InterventionsHousingIncivilitiesNuisance Behaviors and Disorder |
Author: Candy Murphy and Associates Title: Third Party Complaints of Anti-Social Behaviour in the Private Residential Tenancy Sector Summary: The report begins by describing the situation of antisocial-behaviour in the private residential tenancy sector in Ireland in relation to anti-social behaviour, drawing largely on experience in the social housing sector. It goes on to look at experience in other countries, again largely drawing on the social housing sector. These countries were: – UK – US – Australia Additionally, a small amount of information was obtained from other countries that had been included in the review of rent deposit dispute mechanisms – Norway, the Netherlands and Greece. Details: Dublin: Private Residential Tenancies Board, 2007. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2012 at: https://www.housing.ie/Our-Publications/Private-Rented-Sector/PRTB_Third-Party-Complaints-of-Anti-Social-Behavio.aspx Year: 2007 Country: International URL: https://www.housing.ie/Our-Publications/Private-Rented-Sector/PRTB_Third-Party-Complaints-of-Anti-Social-Behavio.aspx Shelf Number: 126363 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorHousingIncivilitiesNuisance Behaviors and DisorderResidential Properties |
Author: Martin, Misty M.J. Title: Lighting and Landscaping Cues Contributing to Residential Burglary Rates: A Case Study of Selected Gainesville Housing Authority Developments Summary: The objective of the present study is to explore residential burglaries, and the contributions of lighting and landscaping cues relative to their occurrences. We employed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to locate low-income housing developments in Gainesville, Florida (managed by the Gainesville Housing Authority) and map the occurrences of residential burglaries. Throughout the analysis of the burglary occurrences, we focused on the basic placebased crime prevention techniques, examining the possibility of successfully promoting or discouraging criminal acts of residential burglary with lighting and landscaping elements. We hypothesized that lighting and landscape maintenance directly affected the reported occurrences of residential burglaries within our select GHA developments. We identified select reported incidences in Pine Meadows, Woodland Park, and Caroline Manor, three of the Gainesville Housing Authority (GHA) developments, and conducted landscaping and lighting surveys within proximity of the point of entry for each victimized unit to determine if landscaping or lighting environmental cues played any role within the reported incidence and predator’s target selection. We found that lighting levels in our study developments to be minimal at the points of entry and landscaping often to be overgrown, contributing to opportunities of cover for potential offenders. The results of our analysis suggest that lighting and landscaping play a role in the amount of surveillability, which plays a role in decreased residential burglary opportunities. Through our research, we were unable to infer a direct relationship between lighting and landscaping cues and the occurrences of residential burglaries. Nevertheless, our studies suggest that the residential burglary occurrences were more than random criminal acts. Details: Tallahassee, FL: University of Florida, 2009. 177p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 18, 2012 at: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0041267 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0041267 Shelf Number: 126365 Keywords: HousingLandscapingLightingResidential Burglary (Florida) |
Author: Luby, Jane Title: Finding and Sustaining a Home in the Private Rented Sector: The Essentials. A Guide for Frontline Staff Working with Homeless Offenders Summary: The aim of this guide is to provide frontline Prison Service and Probation Trust staff with the knowledge and tools to help people with a history of offending find, and keep, a home in the private rented sector (PRS). It provides a combination of detailed guidance and practical tools, as well as case study examples that can help you find suitable and sustainable homes in the PRS for former offenders. It will help you to better understand: • What is different about the PRS compared to other types of accommodation; • The pros and cons of the PRS compared to other types of accommodation; • The barriers to accessing the PRS and how you can help offenders overcome them; • What you need to do to give offenders the best possible chances of getting landlords to take and keep them as tenants; • How you need to tailor your support for people with specific needs, such as women, MAPPA offenders, people with no recourse to public funds, and those with substance misuse problems or mental health needs; • How to create partnerships with others and/or develop your service where there are gaps in what you currently deliver; and • How to access other national and local resources. Details: London: Crisis, 2012. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 21, 2012 at: http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/SupportingOffendersInThePRS.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/SupportingOffendersInThePRS.pdf Shelf Number: 126395 Keywords: Ex-Offenders (U.K.)HomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Jones, Anwen Title: Addressing Antisocial Behaviour: An Independent Evaluation of Shelter Inclusion Project Summary: Shelter Inclusion Project represents a new approach to tackling antisocial behaviour and social exclusion. The scheme was launched in 2002 in partnership with Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The project was designed to provide an alternative model to present enforcement policies and residential schemes by offering a specialist floating support service to help households identify and deal with the causes of their behaviour and learn how to resolve their situations. Shelter Inclusion Project illustrates how meeting the support needs of households involved in antisocial acts can impact positively on their behaviour and reduce the risk of homelessness and social exclusion. An independent evaluation of the pilot model, funded by the Housing Corporation and undertaken by the Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, found that: the project succeeded in ending or improving antisocial behaviour in seven out of ten households that had completed their time with the project. Among the 45 ‘closed case’ households, 60 per cent no longer exhibited any antisocial behaviour. A further 11 per cent were reported as showing improvements in their behaviour. high levels of tenancy sustainment were achieved, with 84 per cent of closed cases assessed as no longer being at risk of homelessness following contact with the project. there was a high level of service engagement, with users accepting targeted work to address antisocial behaviour. Most service users reported that the project had made a significant difference to their lives, helping them to regain confidence, control and self-respect. Over its three-year duration, the project supported 74 households containing a total of 230 individuals. The households had been subject to a total of 149 actions for antisocial behaviour, including written and verbal warnings, eviction, injunctions and Anti-social Behaviour Orders. The most common antisocial acts were noise and youth nuisance. The majority of the households, 67 per cent, contained children. Lone parent households formed the most common type of household at 43 per cent. However, in 70 per cent of cases, antisocial behaviour was being committed only by an adult in the household. The households were almost all economically inactive at the point of referral. Only three per cent of the service users were in work. Nearly half (45 per cent) were carers for dependent children. Children were often experiencing disruption to their education, including truanting and exclusion, at the point of referral. Twenty-four per cent of the children were either temporarily or permanently excluded, or missing significant amounts of school. Many households had high levels of selfreported health and support needs. More than half the households contained an adult with depression and other mental health problems. Just under one third of the households contained someone with a limiting illness or disability. Drug and alcohol dependency among adults was a problem in 23 per cent of the households. Details: York, UK: Shelter, The University of York and The Housing Corporation, 2006. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2012 at: http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/38611/Inclusion_Project_Evaluation_Addressing_antisocial_behaviour.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/38611/Inclusion_Project_Evaluation_Addressing_antisocial_behaviour.pdf Shelf Number: 126458 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (U.K.)HomelessnessHousingShelter Inclusion ProjectSocial Exclusion |
Author: Wright, Gillian Title: Review of Housing Related Anti-Social Behaviour Policies and Interventions in the UK Summary: This report is a review of housing related anti-social behaviour (ASB) policy and interventions in the UK. This report examines how ASB is defined, the tools available for tackling it within housing and seeks to review any existing evaluation to assess the effectiveness of ASB measures in the UK. Section 1: Introduction -- Section 1 provides a brief overview of the purpose of the paper, the background to the development of ASB policies, as well as an overview to any evaluation that has taken place. This section also outlines the Government’s position on ASB. Section 2: Defining Antisocial Behaviour -- Section 2 concentrates on the debate surrounding the definition of anti-social behaviour in the policy arena. It has not been possible to provide a neat definition, given the extensive range and spectrum of anti-social behaviour, but this section compares definitions in use across the UK and seeks to establish an agreed definition upon which policy decisions could be made. Section 3: Antisocial Behaviour in Housing -- Section 3 outlines the impact of ASB in housing and the different approaches that are required by social and private housing providers. Section 4: Tools & Initiatives -- Section 4 sets out a number of tools that are available to landlords to tackle ASB, these include: Antisocial Behaviour Contracts and Orders (ABC / ASBO); Scottish Short Secure Tenancies (SSST), etc. This section also outlines the Government’s new proposals for tackling ASB, outlined in their recent consultation document ‘More Effective Responses to Anti-Social Behaviour’. Section 5: Measuring the Costs -- Section 5 provides some data on the costs of tackling ASB and what should be considered when estimating the costs for particular initiatives e.g. Family Intervention Programmes. Section 6: Prevention, Intervention & Enforcement -- This section looks at the core principles in tackling ASB of prevention, intervention and enforcement. The section assesses the difficult balance between preventing, changing and punishing bad behaviour. Section 7: Conclusion & Recommendations -- Section 7 draws some conclusions on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of current definitions and initiatives used to tackle ASB. Section 8: Recommendations -- Section 8 puts forward a number of recommendations, both short-term measures and long-term strategic initiatives to tackle some of the identified problems. Details: Belfast: Department for Social Development, Housing Directorate, 2011. 125p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper BRT 1/2011: Accessed October 5, 2012 at: www.dsdni.gov.uk Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 126568 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (U.K.)Disorderly ConductHousingNuisance Behaviors and Disorder |
Author: Yarming, Michael Title: Safe Housing Estates: Suggestions for Crime Prevention in Renovation Programmes Summary: When renovation work is about to start on a housing estate, it may be a good idea to look at the same time into the possibility of making the estate a safer, more secure place to live and be in, and of reducing any crime with simple, physical improvements. It may not cost anything extra. On the other hand, it will require a little more thought in the planning process. The residents can, for example, be drawn into the process, and suggestions for improving the area and increasing security can be heard. This brochure covers a series of such measures that can be pointed out, measures that have been tried with success on Danish public housing estates during renovation. These renovation programmes, which included physical improvements to 173 housing estates, have been closely followed by the Building Research Institute of Denmark. Details: Glostrup, Denmark: Danish Crime Prevention Council, 2002. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.dkr.dk/sites/default/files/SafeHousingEstates.pdf Year: 2002 Country: Denmark URL: http://www.dkr.dk/sites/default/files/SafeHousingEstates.pdf Shelf Number: 126654 Keywords: Crime PreventionDesign Against Crime (Denmark)Housing |
Author: Kulu-Glasgow, I. Title: Categorical Accommodation and Assistance for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings. A Study of Four European Countries Summary: The shortage of adequate and suitable shelter facilities for victims of trafficking in human beings (THB) has been on the agenda now for several years in the Netherlands. Until recently, female victims of THB were usually accommodated in women’s shelters; male victims mostly in shelters for the homeless, or public shelters. There have been signals that these types of shelters do not meet the specific needs of this particular group of victims (e.g. lack of specialised assistance and sufficient security measures) (Ministerie van VWS, 2010; NRM 2009, 2010). In June 2010, the Dutch government started a pilot project on categorical accommodation and assistance (CAA) for adult victims of THB (for national or non-national victims of exploitation in all sectors), which will continue until the end of 2014. The aim of this research is to look at the experiences that other European countries have had with CAA for adult victims of THB, and present an overview of the organisation and implementation of CAA in these countries. This includes descriptions of the bottlenecks these countries have experienced, any possible solutions they have employed, and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of CAA. The study may provide input for the possible further implementation of CAA in the Netherlands. Four countries were selected: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain. These countries were chosen with an eye on the diversity of the organisation and implementation of CAA, and their similarity with the Netherlands (all countries are transit and destination countries for victims of THB) and with the Dutch pilot on CAA (a broad target group). The three central research questions in this study are: 1 What are the objectives of CAA for victims of THB in the selected EU countries and what is the target group? 2 How is CAA for victims of THB organised and implemented in the selected countries? Are there any bottlenecks? 3 What are the perceived advantages and disadvantages of CAA for victims of THB? To answer the above research questions the following methods were used: • a literature survey, • interviews with 22 representatives of ministries, specialised NGOs providing CAA, and other relevant institutions in the selected countries; additionally, another five representatives of these organisations provided exclusively written information. In Belgium and the Czech Republic, representatives of all the specialised NGOs providing CAA to victims of THB were interviewed (three NGOs and three shelters and two NGOs and three shelters respectively). In Italy representatives from two Italian NGOs (operating two and six shelters respectively), and in Spain from one NGO (operating three shelters) were interviewed. Considering the large number of NGOs in these two countries, the results of this study do not cover all variations in the implementation of CAA in Italy and Spain. Details: The Hague: Dutch Minister of Security and Justice., Research and Documentation Centre, 2012. 203p. Source: Internet Resource: Cahier 2012-8: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/vergelijkend-landenonderzoek-naar-de-categorale-opvang-van-slachtoffers-mensenhandel.aspx?cp=45&cs=6799 Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/vergelijkend-landenonderzoek-naar-de-categorale-opvang-van-slachtoffers-mensenhandel.aspx?cp=45&cs=6799 Shelf Number: 126681 Keywords: HousingHuman Trafficking (Europe)Victim Services |
Author: Fontaine, Jocelyn Title: Impact of Family-Inclusive Case Management on Reentry Outcomes: Interim Report on the Safer Return Demonstration Evaluation Summary: This interim report details the first two years of the Urban Institute’s evaluation of the family-inclusive case management component of the Safer Return Demonstration—a reentry program based in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood. The report presents the logic of the case management model and summarizes family members and formerly incarcerated persons experiences and perceptions, based on interviews and focus groups. In general, family members were highly supportive of returning prisoners and, despite a typically disadvantaged socioeconomic status, provided substantial material support to their returning family members, particularly housing. The implications of these findings for the Demonstration and reentry planning are discussed. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2012 at: http://www.urban.org/publications/412408.html Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/publications/412408.html Shelf Number: 126853 Keywords: Community-Based ProgramsFamilies of Ex-OffendersFamily-Based Case ManagementHousingPrisoner Reentry (U.S.)Safer Return Demonstration |
Author: Jusiewicz, David Joseph Title: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: Crime Free Multi Housing In Arlington, Texas Summary: The purpose of this study is to measure and compare calls for service at the apartment communities participating in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program in the belief that a reduction in calls for service should translate to a reduction in crime. The review of the existing data is a cross-sectional, pre/post study of secondary data using calls for service. This method is preferred as it will represent the actual number of calls handled at each surveyed apartment community. Therefore, the conclusions provided with this data are not based on a complex statistical manipulation rather it provides a snap shot and serves as an early indicator to the body of knowledge of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) so that others may follow and continue the research. It is evident from the data that the implementation of the CPTED principles and the apartment community participation in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is correlated with the decline in calls for service. Details: Arlington, TX: University of Texas at Arlington, 2011. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 20, 2012 at: https://dspace.uta.edu/bitstream/handle/10106/9582/Jusiewicz_uta_2502M_11349.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://dspace.uta.edu/bitstream/handle/10106/9582/Jusiewicz_uta_2502M_11349.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 126934 Keywords: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTDesign Against CrimeHousing |
Author: Frischtak, Claudio Title: Crime, House Prices, and Inequality: The Effect of UPPs in Rio Summary: We use a recent policy experiment in Rio de Janeiro, the installation of permanent police stations in low-income communities (or favelas), to quantify the relationship between a reduction in crime and the change in the prices of nearby residential real estate. Using a novel data set of detailed property prices from an online classifi eds website, we fi nd that the new police stations (called UPPs) had a substantial effect on the trajectory of property values and certain crime statistics since the beginning of the program in late 2008. We also fi nd that the extent of inequality among residential prices decreased as a result of the policy. Both of these empirical observations are consistent with a dynamic model of property value in which historical crime rates have persistent effects on the price of real estate. Details: New York: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Staff Report No. 542: Accessed December 3, 2012 at: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr542.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Argentina URL: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr542.pdf Shelf Number: 127112 Keywords: Crime PreventionEconomics of CrimeFavelas (Rio de Janeiro)HousingPolicing |
Author: Frischtak, Claudio Title: Crime, House Prices, and Inequality: The Effect of UPPs in Rio Summary: We use a recent policy experiment in Rio de Janeiro, the installation of permanent police stations in low-income communities (or favelas), to quantify the relationship between a reduction in crime and the change in the prices of nearby residential real estate. Using a novel data set of detailed property prices from an online classifi eds website, we fi nd that the new police stations (called UPPs) had a substantial effect on the trajectory of property values and certain crime statistics since the beginning of the program in late 2008. We also fi nd that the extent of inequality among residential prices decreased as a result of the policy. Both of these empirical observations are consistent with a dynamic model of property value in which historical crime rates have persistent effects on the price of real estate. Details: New York: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Staff Report No. 542: Accessed December 3, 2012 at: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr542.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr542.pdf Shelf Number: 127112 Keywords: Crime PreventionEconomics of CrimeFavelas (Brazil)HousingPolicing |
Author: Thomson, Jessica Title: Housing Needs of Adults Post-Incarceration in Edmonton Summary: The Mustard Seed is a humanitarian organization that delivers basic services, housing, and employment programs to those in need and partners with the community to address the root causes of poverty. As the organization develops and expands its housing programs it recognizes that one of its strengths is the ability and experience to work with the correctional population. This research study is an investigation into the housing status and plans of adults being discharged from correctional facilities into the Edmonton area. Headed by the Mustard Seed, the project was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Alberta. Aside from one recent study conducted by the John Howard Society in Toronto it appears that very little research has been conducted on this topic in the Canadian context and virtually none has been done in Edmonton. This exploratory study aims to address a gap in the research on the challenges faced by incarcerated populations and their post-incarceration housing status in Edmonton and surrounding area. There are five federal institutions (Edmonton Institution, Edmonton Institution for Women, Stan Daniels, Buffalo Sage, Grierson) in Edmonton, another a federal institution that releases into Edmonton (Bowden Institution), a Remand Centre, and a Provincial Centre in a suburb near Edmonton. The consequence of being home to or near to these institutions is a high number of offenders settling in the Edmonton area post-incarceration. The implications for housing-related issues and challenges to reintegration are significant. Although research specific to the Edmonton area is lacking other research suggests that the first 90 days after release is the critical period that can ‘make or break’ the reintegration effort (Oregon Re-entry, 2011). Numerous studies acknowledge the link between incarceration, reintegration, and homelessness. In a recent study of homelessness and incarceration among Aboriginal women in Canada, Walsh et al. (2012) pointed out that Aboriginal women who are incarcerated are at an increased risk to be homeless and those who are homeless are at an increased risk for being incarcerated. A 2004 study in the United Kingdom acknowledged that the risk of re-offending is linked to a former prisoner’s housing situation and that accommodation issues can increase the likelihood of reoffending by up to 20% (Home Office, 2004a, p. 9, from Harding & Harding, 2006). In Canada, the link between incarceration and homelessness has been most fully described by a recent Toronto study. According to Homeless and Jailed: Jailed and Homeless, a study conducted by the John Howard Society of Toronto (2010) being homeless increases the likelihood of ending up in jail, while imprisonment increases the risk of homelessness. As Padgett et al. (2006) have argued, a ‘housing first’ approach to addressing the needs of those dealing with homelessness, mental illness, and drug addiction – common challenges to many leaving prison – is much more successful in dealing with mental illness and drug addiction issues than standard models of care. Research Questions The research questions informing this project are: 1. What is the housing status of adults transitioning from correctional facilities into the Greater Edmonton Area into the community? 2. Do releases from correctional facilities impact the homeless count in the Greater Edmonton area? 3. Does this demographic require additional support around issues pertaining to housing? Details: Edmonton, AB, Canada: Mustard Seed Edmonton and the University of Alberta, 2013. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2013 at: http://www.homewardtrust.ca/images/resources/2013-02-11-14-31MustardSeed_FINAL_2013%2001%2030.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://www.homewardtrust.ca/images/resources/2013-02-11-14-31MustardSeed_FINAL_2013%2001%2030.pdf Shelf Number: 127705 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry (Canada) |
Author: Lutze, Faith E. Title: Washington State's Reentry Housing Pilot Program Evaluation: Year 3 Final Report Summary: In 2007 Washington State continued its work to end homelessness and to reduce recidivism committed by high risk and high need offenders being released from prison or jail without a home or a viable release plan. To address the issue of recidivism and homelessness the State implemented the Reentry Housing Pilot Program (RHPP) and similar programs funded by the Housing Grant Assistance Program (HGAP). This report provides the results of the final phase of the research project designed to determine whether providing wrap around services, treatment, and offender accountability with the provision of affordable and safe housing reduces recidivism. This report provides (1) a description of each of the RHPP programs implemented in Clark, King, and Spokane Counties and the HGAP programs implemented in Clallam and Whatcom Counties; and (2) a 24 month follow-up outcome evaluation comparing RHPP/HGAP participants with a similar group of offenders released from prison. RHPP/HGAP participants are compared with offenders who were released from prison into homelessness, unstable housing, or stable housing. The Washington State Legislature eliminated funding for the RHPP program in 2009 due to the economic crisis confronting the state. RHPP Outcome Evaluation Findings: RHPP participants were less likely (32%) than the comparison groups (36%) to be convicted for a new crime 24 months following their release from prison. This finding was not statistically significant. RHPP participants were less likely (45%) than the comparison groups (50%) to be revoked from community supervision for a violation. This finding was not statistically significant. RHPP participants were significantly less likely (53%) than the comparison groups (62%) to be readmitted to prison. HGAP Outcome Evaluation Findings: HGAP participants experience significantly fewer new convictions. These findings were mixed based on county. HGAP participants were significantly less likely (17%) to have their community supervision revoked than the comparison group (41%). HGAP participants were significantly less likely (41%) to be readmitted to prison than the comparison groups (60%). Details: Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Criminal Justice Program, 2011. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/wchac/pdf/rhpp_year3_report_june_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/wchac/pdf/rhpp_year3_report_june_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 128016 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry (Washington State, U.S.Recidivism |
Author: SQUASH: Squatters' Action for Secure Homes Title: The Case Against Section 144 Summary: SQUASH has collected and analysed information to produce a six-month impact analysis of the criminalisation of squatting in residential properties (S144, Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, 2012). Relevant literature and reports on the current housing crisis, empty properties, homelessness and squatting in England and Wales have been used to provide a context for a wider analysis of the after-effects of S144. The report’s findings suggest the major concerns with criminalisation that arose during the government’s consultation process have manifested, with homeless and vulnerable people disproportionately affected. The lack of data being kept by councils and Police forces is deeply troubling, and suggests many of these people have been forced into even more precarious forms of hidden homelessness. Given the magnitude of the housing crisis and the huge rise in homelessness we are currently facing, this law has critically narrowed the options for many, and is sending homeless people to prison for seeking shelter in empty buildings. The report is divided into four main sections that analyse different aspects of S144. 1) The Undemocratic section takes into consideration the process that led to this new criminal law. Our research highlights the unusually short parliamentary process, which gave very little time for scrutiny, and the government’s consultation process, which saw 96% of the respondents being ultimately ignored. 2) The Unjust section, by exposing the irrefutable link between squatting and homelessness, shows who the law is most harshly affecting. Case studies of people arrested and prosecuted in the past six months are presented in order to give concrete examples of the law enforcement. 3) The Unnecessary section outlines the prior adequacy of the Criminal Law Act 1977 for dealing with squatting, and raises some concerns about the enforcement of the new offence and the lack of data being collected. 4) Finally, the Unaffordable section analyses the financial aspects associated with S144. By taking into account direct (e.g. evictions, arrests and prosecutions) and indirect (e.g.rehabilitation and housing benefits) enforcement costs the analysis provides some up-to-date figures on the financial impact of the law. As a result of these findings, SQUASH are launching a campaign calling for a repeal of S144 LASPO and at the very least we are calling for a full independent impact assessment before further criminalisation is even discussed. The situation at the moment is dire, and with substantial cuts to welfare provision taking effect from April 1st, things can only get worse. Details: UK: SQUASH, 2013. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 27, 2013 at: http://www.squashcampaign.org/repeal-law/the-case-against-section-144-2/ Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.squashcampaign.org/repeal-law/the-case-against-section-144-2/ Shelf Number: 128147 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessness (U.K.)HousingSquatting |
Author: Spinney, Angela Title: Home and Safe? Policy and practice innovations to prevent women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence from becoming homeless Summary: This report sets out the findings of a research project investigating the opportunities and challenges of preventing women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence from becoming homeless. The project responded to the AHURI Strategic Research Issue 1: Housing and related systems that prevent homelessness and promote wellbeing and stable housing outcomes, and the challenges outlined in the White Paper, The road home: a national approach to reducing homelessness (Commonwealth of Australia 2008). The White Paper highlights prevention and early intervention as the most efficient and effective ways to reduce homelessness, and they are also embodied within National Affordable Housing Agreement objectives. This is the second and Final Report from AHURI Research Project 50602– Homelessness prevention for women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence: innovations in policy and practice. The aim is to explore the value and implementation challenges of innovative staying at home homelessness prevention measures, such as Staying Home Leaving Violence schemes in Australia and Sanctuary Schemes in England. The two broad research questions are: How and to what extent have innovative homelessness prevention measures introduced in Australia and England since the mid-1990s been successful in enabling women and children to remain in their homes and localities? What are the implications of these findings for policy on housing and homelessness in Australia and for improvements to practice? Details: Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2012. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: AHURI Final Report No. 196: Accessed April 9, 2013 at: http://www.ahuri.edu.au/publications/ Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ahuri.edu.au/publications/ Shelf Number: 128324 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHomelessness (Australia)Housing |
Author: Kearns, Ade Title: SHARP Survey Findings: Social and Community Outcomes Summary: 1. The Scottish Health, Housing and Regeneration (SHARP) study is a longitudinal study of the health and social effects on tenants of moving into new-build socially rented housing. The primary aim was to investigate the impacts of being rehoused in new-build socially-rented property on housing conditions, neighbourhood and social outcomes, and the health and well-being of tenants. 2. Three waves of household surveys were conducted. Waves 1 and 3 involved face-to- face interviews with 334 households who had been rehoused (the Intervention Group) and 389 households who were not rehoused (the Control Group)1. Wave 2 was a postal survey involving only the Intervention Group. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with a small number of those people rehoused. The findings of the survey analysis are presented in a number of separate reports. This report presents the results relating to social and community outcomes. 3. Rehousing per se did not prompt an increase in the rate of usage of local amenities, which fell over time in both study groups. Relocation to a different neighbourhood appeared to stimulate local engagement since among this sub-group, the mean number of local optional amenities identified increased over time, and the mean number of local participations also increased compared to a reduction among those who were rehoused in the same area. On the other hand, moving from a flat to a house and acquiring a garden were associated with reductions in local participation, suggesting that such moves might result in changes in attitude to the local community, with less desire or need for forms of organised local engagement. 4. Rehousing did not impact negatively upon people’s social networks or sources of social support. There were no differences at Wave 3, or in terms of change over time, between the Intervention and Control Groups either in the size of their social networks, nor the range of forms of recent social contact. Furthermore, at both points in time, the majority of those rehoused would have recourse to local sources of social support in most situations. Neighbouring behaviours however increased over time in the Intervention Group compared with little or no change in the Control Group. Those rehoused were more likely by Wave 3 to engage in neighbouring behaviours than members of the Control Group, particularly to visit their neighbours homes; engagement with neighbours seems to be stimulated by rehousing in new developments. Moving neighbourhood as part of rehousing had no negative impacts upon social relations for the Intervention Group and may in fact have had a slight stimulating effect upon neighbouring behaviours. 5. Sense of community including belonging, cohesion and empowerment increased significantly over time. Thus, rehousing itself did not impact negatively on people’s sense of community: they either maintained or quickly developed their sense of community after moving house. Moving neighbourhood (relocation) had no effect upon the average change over time in sense of community. However, we cannot tell how many people had a prior familiarity with the neighbourhood they moved to, although the qualitative research indicates that quite a few ‘relocators’ moved to an area which they had prior experience of. 6. Sense of safety and of informal social control (collective efficacy) increased over time among the Intervention Group: safety rose by a fifth and collective efficacy by a tenth, although safety was lower to start with and still lower than collective efficacy by Wave 3. Whether or not people had moved neighbourhood made no difference to these outcomes. People moving out of flats gained more in terms of safety and collective efficacy than those moving out of houses, particularly if they moved into a house. However, informal social control had similarly risen in the Control Group; thus, we cannot say that rehousing itself boosted people’s sense of informal social control. However, we are able to say that moving house and moving neighbourhood had no detrimental effect upon people’s sense of safety and of informal social control, both of which improved despite moving, and possibly partly because of it. 7. Some aspects of community were rated higher in Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas at Wave 1 (participation, belonging and empowerment) and other aspects were rated lower in SIP areas (safety, collective efficacy and cohesion). In relation to 2 aspects of community, change over time was significantly different in SIP areas than elsewhere: participation in organisations and clubs fell in SIP areas over time, compared to an increase elsewhere; whilst people’s sense of community cohesion (perceived trust, harmony and reciprocity among neighbours) increased three-fold in SIP areas compared to elsewhere. This latter finding may be related to the fact that across the entire Intervention Group, we found positive trends of association between identified neighbourhood improvements and people’s sense of cohesion, safety and collective efficacy. 8. Moving house and moving neighbourhood to some degree stimulate local engagement with neighbours and with local groups, so that the policy emphasis upon residential stability has to be tempered with the realisation that a degree of mobility within and between communities can have beneficial outcomes. However, it would be worth investigating whether these effects hold true for rehousing into existing housing as well as into newly built housing. 9. Privacy and quiet at home are important for individual well-being but also for perceptions of the community. Therefore, we would recommend a more comprehensive assessment of these outcomes across Scottish communities and an evaluation of the sufficiency of housing and neighbourhood management in this regard. Lastly, we would encourage further consideration of localised governance structures that give communities more involvement and influence over local area improvements and services, since these things are positively associated with people’s sense of security and community. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2008. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2013 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/249200/0071708.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/249200/0071708.pdf Shelf Number: 129006 Keywords: Fear of CrimeHousingNeighborhood SafetyNeighborhoods and Crime (Scotland) |
Author: California Sex Offender Management Board Title: The Impact of Victimization on Residential Mobility: Explaining Racial and Ethnic Patterns Using the National Crime Victimization Survey Summary: Criminal victimization is known to influence decisions to move, but theories suggest that the processes leading to a moving decision may vary across racial and ethnic groups depending on household socioeconomic characteristics as well as housing market conditions. This study used a longitudinal sample of 34,134 housing units compiled from the National Crime Victimization Survey for the forty largest metropolitan areas in the United States (1995-2003) to study racial/ethnic differences in household moving behavior after victimization. Specifically, the hypotheses of the study were: (1) Black and Hispanic victims would be less likely than Whites to move, and this would remain true even after being controlled for other measured household characteristics because it is unlikely that the data would be able to capture all socioeconomic and structural obstacles that minorities face in their housing search process; (2) racial/ethnic residential segregation may reduce the impact of victimization on moving for Black and Hispanic households, and the moderating effect of residential segregation may be particularly strong for Blacks since they experience the most severe segregation, and (3) in addition to the number of victimizations, victim injury and property loss may further increase the risk of moving for crime victims, and because the levels of victim injury and property loss vary across racial and ethnic groups, it is important to consider how these factors may contribute to racial/ethnic differences in moving after victimization. Multilevel discrete-time hazard models were used for the analyses. The results provided partial support for the hypotheses, but they also showed that the link between victimization and mobility is more complex than expected. Specifically, I find that victimization is less strongly associated with moving among Blacks and Hispanics than it is with moving among Whites. In special circumstances, however, victimization can significantly increase the chances of moving for minority residents, and this is especially the case for Black households after a property loss. Their moving behavior also is related to market conditions, as residential segregation will reduce opportunities for minority residents, Blacks in particular, to move after victimization. For Hispanics, the analysis of the victimization-mobility relationship yielded estimates with relatively large standard errors, and this suggests the need for larger samples and the need for consideration of the sub-group diversity among Hispanics. The findings have important implications for research and policy development, and they extend how we think about racial/ethnic disparities in the link between crime and mobility. Details: Final report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2013. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244867.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244867.pdf Shelf Number: 131952 Keywords: HousingNeighborhoods and CrimeRacial/Ethnic DisparitiesSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeVictimization Survey |
Author: Ajzenman, Nicolas Title: On the Distributive Costs of Drug-Related Homicides Summary: Reliable estimates of the effects of violence on economic outcomes are scarce. We exploit the manyfold increase in homicides in 2008-2011 in Mexico resulting from its war on organized drug traffickers to estimate the effect of drug-related homicides on house prices. We use an unusually rich dataset that provides national coverage on house prices and homicides and exploit within-municipality variations. We find that the impact of violence on housing prices is borne entirely by the poor sectors of the population. An increase in homicides equivalent to one standard deviation leads to a 3% decrease in the price of low-income housing. In spite of this large burden on the poor, the willingness to pay in order to reverse the increase in drug-related crime is not high. We estimate it to be approximately 0.1% of Mexico's GDP. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series: Working Paper 20067: Accessed May 5, 2014 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w20067.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w20067.pdf Shelf Number: 132248 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug-Related ViolenceDrugs and CrimeEconomics of CrimeHomicideHousing |
Author: Wormith, J. Stephen Title: Homelessness Among Offenders Released from Federal Correctional Facilities in Saskatchewan Summary: A growing body of research has identified housing as a key component in the successful reintegration of offenders into the community following a period of incarceration. Federal offenders are likely to face greater challenges obtaining stable housing than provincial offenders because, by law, they have been sentenced to longer periods of custody (i.e., a minimum of two years, although most are released within 16 months). Longer time away from the community may result in additional difficulty obtaining stable housing for reasons, which include the loss of past contacts. The purpose of this project was to examine issues related to housing and homelessness of federal offenders released from custody into the Saskatchewan community. More specifically, an examination of current services available to assist offenders in finding appropriate housing, characteristics of offenders who are homeless and housing services that are needed was conducted. Three kinds of research methodology were utilized: 1. A search of Saskatchewan housing services and programs available to released federal offenders was undertaken. 2. In-depth interviews were conducted with a broad cross-section of key informants involved in housing related activities with federal offenders. 3. Data were collected from offender files and interviews with 41 inmates residing in Saskatchewan federal correctional facilities. Two sets of interviews were conducted. One interview took place prior to the offenders' release from prison and the other interview took place after they were released to communities in Saskatchewan. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted in order to address the research questions of this study. Qualitative content analyses were conducted in order to provide detailed descriptive information of the current services and the housing needs and issues of federal offenders. Quantitative research methods were used to analyze numerical data and conduct analyses to determine whether offender characteristics are related to homelessness. The use of multiple data sources and methods of analyses increases the validity of the findings. Prior to analyzing the findings that address each of the research questions, a description of the housing situation of the participants was provided. Homelessness was found to increase after incarceration. For the 11 participants interviewed in the community only, homelessness decreased to similar levels as pre-incarceration when in the community. It is difficult to state that the levels of homelessness would have decreased to the pre-incarceration levels for the whole sample since they were a more serious offender group. Therefore, the small sample size at follow-up was a limitation for this specific analysis. However, the community sample may be more representative of offenders actually remaining in the community as more serious offenders are more likely to re-offend and be re-incarcerated. The following main findings are presented as they address each of the research questions below. 1. Are there adequate housing resources and support for released offenders? To determine whether there are adequate housing resources and support for released offenders the inventory of housing services, key informant interviews and offender interviews were analyzed. The inventory of housing services available for released offenders indicated that single males who are high risk/high needs with a violent or sexual criminal history and not on parole or conditional release have the least options. Key informant interviews found that a number of positive housing programs and services are available. However, waitlists and accessibility to these programs pose a barrier to offenders trying to access them. Federal offenders stated that more housing support and resources are needed prior to their release in order to help them better establish their housing plans and avoid some of the difficulties they face when trying to obtain housing, such as finding safe and affordable accommodation. 2. How can we prevent federally released offenders from becoming homeless? Federal offenders and key informants identified factors that would prevent offenders from becoming homeless. Federal offenders stated that support/access to resources, financial assistance and accommodation was needed to prevent them from becoming homeless. Key informants stated that a central housing registry and/or an offender housing complex, housing life skills programs, less discrimination, and an appropriate minimum wage to keep up with housing costs was needed to prevent federal offenders from becoming homeless. 3. Are there characteristics that differentiate those who find stable housing from those who do not? Offenders who were homeless prior to incarceration were likely to be more violent and have higher needs than those who had more stable housing. Those who had more stable housing were also more likely to have greater community support. Furthermore, sex offenders and those who engaged in Aboriginal programming were less likely to have an adequate housing plan at release. Key informants reported that offenders who were more likely to be homeless were those who lacked finances, needed housing resources, lacked life skills, had to search for a new home, and did not have a job. 4. Is there a need for specific programs for federally released offenders? Lastly, a review of the information provided through the inventory of housing services available, key informants and federal offenders indicated the need for programs that create more accessibility to housing resources and increase pre-release planning, and the creation of a central housing registry and supportive living unit for federal offenders with no other housing options. Details: Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan, 2010. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2014 at: http://www.usask.ca/cfbsjs/research/pdf/research_reports/Federal_Offenders_Housing_and_Homelessness_Final-2.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: http://www.usask.ca/cfbsjs/research/pdf/research_reports/Federal_Offenders_Housing_and_Homelessness_Final-2.pdf Shelf Number: 132552 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHomelessnessHousingOffender ReentryReintegration |
Author: National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty Title: No Safe Place: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities Summary: Homelessness continues to be a national crisis, affecting millions of people each year, including a rising number of families. Homeless people, like all people, must engage in activities such as sleeping or sitting down in order to survive. Yet, in communities across the nation, these harmless, unavoidable behaviors are treated as criminal activity under laws that criminalize homelessness. This report provides an overview of criminalization measures in effect across the nation and looks at trends in the criminalization of homelessness, based on an analysis of the laws in 187 cities that the Law Center has tracked since 2009. The report further describes why these laws are ineffective in addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, how they are expensive to taxpayers, and how they often violate homeless persons' constitutional and human rights. Finally, we offer constructive alternatives to criminalization, making recommendations to federal, state, and local governments on how to best address the problem of visible homelessness in a sensible, humane, and legal way. Details: Washington, DC: National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2014. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2014 at: http://nlchp.org/documents/No_Safe_Place Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://nlchp.org/documents/No_Safe_Place Shelf Number: 128735 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessness (U.S.)HousingPoverty |
Author: United Nations Human Settlements Programme Title: Building Urban Safety Through Slum Upgrading Summary: Excluded from the city's opportunities, physically, politically and economically marginalized, slum dwellers are particularly vulnerable to crime and violence. They face an acute risk of becoming victims or offenders and live in a state of constant insecurity. Only a few cities have incorporated a coherent component to prevent crime and mitigate violence in their urban development agendas. Impact on urban safety has occurred somewhat unexpectedly. That is the main lesson to be drawn from the pages of this book: urban policy integration. Details: Nairobi, Kenya: UN-HABITAT, 2011. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2014 at: http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3222 Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3222 Shelf Number: 133169 Keywords: Crime Prevention HousingPoverty Slums Urban Areas Urban Violence |
Author: Sohoni, Tracy Title: The Effect of Collateral Consequence Laws on State Rates of Returns to Prison Summary: Formal restrictions on a person following arrest or conviction are referred to as "collateral consequence laws" and exist in all states in the US. In recent years, scholars, policy makers and advocacy groups have expressed concern that many of these laws hinder reintegration, increasing the likelihood of future crime. In addition, these laws may interfere with the ability of former offenders to meet conditions of release following incarceration, such as maintaining stable employment and housing or paying child support. In this dissertation I examine the effect of states' collateral consequence laws in the categories of voting, access to public records, employment, public housing, public assistance, and driver's licenses. I examine the impact of these laws on state rates of returns to prison, as measured by percent of prison admissions that were people on conditional release when they entered prison, the percent of exits from parole that were considered unsuccessful due returning to incarceration; the percent of exits from parole that were returned to incarceration for a new sentence, and the percent of exits from parole that were returned to incarceration for a technical violation. I also run an additional fixed effects analysis on the effect of restrictions on Temporary Assistance for Needy Children (TANF) over a seven year period. Ultimately, limitations in the data restrict the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the impact of these laws. Results from the analysis are mixed, indicating that these laws may not have a uniform impact. Surprisingly, these analyses give some indication that collateral consequences may be related to lower rates of returns to prison for technical violations, however future research is needed to confirm this relationship. Possible explanations for these relationships are discussed, as are future research possibilities that would address limitations in the data. Data from the fixed-effects analysis does indicate preliminary support that states that imposed harsh restrictions on TANF saw an increase in state rates of returns to prison, however the analysis will need to be expanded to include state-level controls in order to draw any firm conclusions. Details: College Park, MD: University of Maryland, College Park, 2013. 181p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 11, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/247569.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/247569.pdf Shelf Number: 133277 Keywords: Collateral Consequence Laws (U.S.)Ex-Offender EmploymentHousingParoleesPrisoner ReentryRecidivism |
Author: Kirkwood, Steve Title: Supported Accommodation Services for Offenders Summary: This paper examines the links between homelessness and offending and provides a description of supported accommodation services provided by Sacro for offenders in Scotland and a summary of some of the main findings from research on the impact of supported accommodation for offenders. Finally, the paper identifies a set of 'critical issues' for the consideration of practitioners that arise from the research and which may hinder the ability of the ex-offender to 'move on'. These critical issues are: the financial insecurity of many offenders; the relevance of family breakdown; multiple deprivation; over-dependence; the negative effects of hostel accommodation; and offender diversity. These issues highlight the need for more research to explore the short and long-term effectiveness of supported accommodation services in Scotland, taking into account different models of service provision, the individual circumstances of homeless ex-offenders and the social and economic contexts of their lives. Details: Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 2008. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: CJSWDC Briefing Papers, 11: Accessed September 24, 2014 at: http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/files/9848060/KIRKWOOD_2008_supported_accomodation_services_for_offenders.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/files/9848060/KIRKWOOD_2008_supported_accomodation_services_for_offenders.pdf Shelf Number: 133407 Keywords: Ex-Offenders (U.K.)HomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Williams, Kim Title: Accommodation, homelessness and reoffending of prisoners: Results from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) survey Summary: This report summarises the accommodation backgrounds and needs of newly sentenced prisoners, and the links between these and reoffending on release. Data for this report come from Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) (a longitudinal cohort study of 1,435 adult prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in prison in 2005 and 2006), the Police National Computer (PNC), and the 2003 general population survey - the Offending, Crime, and Justice Survey (OCJS). Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2012. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Summary 3/12: Accessed December 9, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278806/homelessness-reoffending-prisoners.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278806/homelessness-reoffending-prisoners.pdf Shelf Number: 130130 Keywords: HomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry (U.K.)Recidivism |
Author: Payne, Jason Title: Homelessness and housing stress among police detainees: Results from the DUMA program Summary: It is generally accepted that a person's living situation, in particular their experience of homelessness and housing stress, can have both long-lasting and wide-ranging consequences. For criminal justice practitioners, the task of limiting homelessness and preventing crime remain key policy priorities in need of ongoing and integrated research. This paper provides a much needed examination of homelessness and housing stress among Australia's criminal justice population. Using data from the AIC's Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program, this study examines the prevalence and nature of homelessness among a sample of police detainees. It is the first of its kind to examine a broader range of homelessness experiences and the reasons why some offenders have few choices but to 'sleep rough' or seek accommodation support. Importantly, the authors estimate that 22 percent of the detainee population is homeless or experiencing housing stress in some form; much higher than has been previously estimated. This research reaffirms the need for intensive accommodation support services to complement criminal justice responses to crime and those who have contact with the criminal justice system. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 492: Accessed February 18, 2015 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/481-500/tandi492.html Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/481-500/tandi492.html Shelf Number: 134640 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessness (Australia)HousingOffenders |
Author: Sarver, Christian M. Title: Evaluation of the Chronic Homeless Services and Housing (CHSH) Project Summary: National estimates indicate that 10-20% of all homeless individuals in the United States (U.S.) are chronically homeless (McCarty, 2005; United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2014). The 2013 Utah Homeless Point-In-Time Count identified 495 chronically homeless persons, comprising three percent of the total homeless population in the state (Wrathall, Day, Ferguson, Hernandez, Ainscough, Steadman, et al., 2013). Chronically homeless individuals often have a variety of health and social needs that must be addressed, in addition to housing, in order to improve their long-term outcomes. As part of the Point-in-Time Count/100,000 Homes Campaign, 678 homeless individuals were surveyed in Salt Lake County in January, 2013; of those, nearly half (42%) were classified as medically vulnerable, including 122 who had tri-morbid health or mental health conditions (Wrathall et al., 2013). Kraybill and Zerger (2003) found that at the service delivery level, the most effective programs for homeless persons emphasized the provision of integrated care through interdisciplinary teams typically made up of medical, mental health, substance use, and social service providers. In September of 2011, The Road Home received funding through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant to develop, implement, and evaluate the Chronic Homeless Services and Housing (CHSH) project over the course of a three year period. The CHSH project was designed to fill existing gaps by providing resources and building relationships at the point of client contact, utilizing an interdisciplinary outreach team to deliver services and staying close to the client at every point during the housing process. The goal of the CHSH project is to use a Housing First approach to stably house chronically homeless individuals who have been the most challenging to engage, have a history of substance abuse and/or mental illness, and who have never been housed or who have previous, unsuccessful housing placements. The Housing First model is defined as an intervention in which housing resources are provided with no requirement or contingencies (e.g., abstinence or employment). When compared to treatment first housing programs, Housing First programs, implemented with chronically homeless persons who have co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse, are associated with higher housing rates, increased residential stability, and fewer days of homelessness (Tsemberis, Gulcur, & Nakae, 2004; Padgett, Gulcur, & Tsemberis, 2006). The CHSH project is based on a Housing First philosophy implemented in the form of a modified Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. This interdisciplinary service delivery model is intended to provide long-term, comprehensive medical, social, and mental health support to clients with severe mental illness in order to keep them housed and in the community. ACT teams meet daily to monitor client change and provide intensive and frequent outreach to clients (Tsembris, 2010). When compared to standard case management, chronically homeless adults with severe mental illness who receive ACT (or similar) services demonstrate better outcomes with respect to decreased homelessness, decreased severity of psychiatric symptoms, and higher self-reported quality of life (Coldwell & Bender, 2007; Gilmer, Stefancic, Eitner, Manning, & Tsembris, 2010). The combination of a Housing First philosophy and ACT-type service delivery for homeless persons who are mentally ill is associated with fewer days of homelessness and reduced contact with the criminal justice system and emergency medical services (Nelson, Aubry, & LaFrance, 2007) as well as increased residential stability and less depression and anxiety (Young, Barrett, Engelhardt, & Moore, 2014). The Road Home identified the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC) as the evaluation partner of the CHSH project on the SAMHSA grant. The data collection, performance measurement, and performance assessment is comprised of two parts: (1) tracking the CHSH project's ongoing efforts to develop, expand, and implement collaborative, evidence-based services for the chronically homeless, and (2) tracking client characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. The first portion of the CHSH evaluation, addressing program implementation, has been documented extensively in previous reports (http://ucjc.utah.edu/homeless-2/chsh) and will not be discussed in the current report. The second part of the CHSH evaluation involves tracking client characteristics, interventions, and outcomes in order to answer the following research questions: 1. Who does the program serve? (Profile of clients, including demographics, homelessness, criminal history, substance abuse, mental health, treatment history, etc.) 2. What is CHSH providing to clients? (Profile of services utilized during CHSH participation, including housing, case management, substance abuse and mental health treatment, benefit enrollment (e.g., food stamps, general assistance) and support services) 3. Is CHSH succeeding? (Measures include: clients placed in housing, housing retention, enrollment in benefit programs, access to substance abuse and mental health treatment, use of emergency medical services, contact with the criminal justice system, etc.) 4. Who has the best outcomes in CHSH? (Analysis of client characteristics by program outcomes: housing placements and retention, substance abuse and mental health treatment, criminal justice contact, use of emergency medical services, etc.) 5. What barriers exist for clients who do not reach desired outcomes? (Profile of barriers that clients experience throughout enrollment in CHSH) Details: Salt Lake City: Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah, 2014. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2015 at: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/CHSH-Final-Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/CHSH-Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 135794 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessnessHousing |
Author: Western Australia. Drug and Alcohol Office Title: Transitional Housing and Support Program (THASP) Evaluation Summary: In March 2011, the Economic and Expenditure Reform Committee (EERC) approved a Combined Capital Bid (CCB) by the Minister for Mental Health; Disability Services, to provide capital funding for community based housing for people with mental illness, AOD problems and disabilities. The Transitional Housing and Support Program (THASP) Phase 1 was established as a pilot, jointly implemented by Department of Housing (DoH) and the Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO). THASP Program Scope In May 2011 THASP Phase 1 commenced providing community based, independent living for people exiting residential AOD treatment programs. A key feature of the THASP program is ongoing support for clients to help with personal recovery and relapse prevention. Clients are assisted with support worker visits; counselling; integration back into the community, education, training and employment; independent living skills; and identifying suitable long term housing. Support provided in each house can vary from harm minimisation, reduced use and ongoing abstinence (with the possible exception of prescription medication or tobacco). The houses are either sole use, shared with other participants or with the client's family. Houses can include mixed cohorts or programs for specific populations, such as mixed gender, women with children, youth or Aboriginal people and families. The houses are primarily available for 3-6 months however some cases may warrant longer term (up to 12 months). Clients can include those with severe and long-term problematic use of alcohol and other drugs, a history of unsuccessful treatment, home or social environment unsupportive of treatment and/or clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It was expected that THASP would achieve the following: - positive outcomes for clients and their families accessing the services; - an increase in number of people exiting residential rehabilitation services and successfully transitioning into independent living; and - a reduction in the number of people exiting residential rehabilitation into homelessness. Evaluation Scope Data collection for the THASP evaluation commenced in March 2013 and was completed by 30 August 2013. Within scope were 15 THASP houses allocated to 8 residential treatment support providers. From commencement of THASP to 30 August 2013, 35 clients resided in a THASP house with an average length of stay of 6 months. The key evaluation objectives were to determine: - program outputs - short-term program outcomes - process issues and what could be improved, including: -- Impact on residential treatment services as support providers -- Impact on the local community and other external stakeholders Not within the initial scope was a review of efficiency, effectiveness and cost effectiveness. However, based on the data collection for the objectives listed above, a basic analysis was conducted and reported on in the Discussion section of this paper. Details: Mount Lawley, WA, AUS: Western Australian Drug and Alcohol Office, 2013. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2015 at: http://www.dao.health.wa.gov.au/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?EntryId=951&Command=Core_Download&PortalId=0&TabId=211 Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.dao.health.wa.gov.au/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?EntryId=951&Command=Core_Download&PortalId=0&TabId=211 Shelf Number: 137205 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseDrug OffendersHomeless PersonsHousingMentally IllReentryTreatment Programs |
Author: McHardy, Fiona Title: Out of Jail But Still Not Free: Experiences of temporary accommodation on leaving prison Summary: This report focuses on the experiences of ten ex-offenders, all part of the Wise Group's Routes out of Prison partnership (RooP), from across local authority areas in the west of Scotland. All were homeless on release from prison. Using a community research approach, research was conducted into their experiences of temporary accommodation on leaving prison. The research set out to: - Examine ex-offenders' experiences of temporary accommodation ; - Understand how experiences of temporary accommodation affected the transition to permanent housing ; - Discover best practice in the provision of temporary accommodation ; - Provide policy recommendations which could alleviate poverty amongst ex-offenders. The key findings of this research were: - Obtaining good housing is a cornerstone for individual well-being. - This housing must be appropriate for the individual's needs and circumstances. - Unsuitable or poor temporary accommodation impacts negatively on reintegration and rehabilitation. - Hostel accommodation is rarely suitable for exoffenders, especially for those with drug and alcohol problems. - Those whose housing circumstances had been unstable before incarceration were the most apprehensive about housing after release. - Housing services and support varied across local authorities; in general, however, support for ex-offenders was poorly integrated across service providers. - Advocacy services for ex-offenders are crucial, especially in the period immediately after release. - Delays in the welfare benefits system represent a serious failing and result in some ex-offenders having no money and or running up debts. For example, it can take between six to eight weeks before someone leaving prison receives full benefits. Details: Glasgow: Poverty Alliance, 2012? 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://www.povertyalliance.org/userfiles/files/EPIC/Reports/EPIC_ResearchReportROOP.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.povertyalliance.org/userfiles/files/EPIC/Reports/EPIC_ResearchReportROOP.pdf Shelf Number: 138945 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Spinney, Angela Title: Reducing the Need for Women and Children to Make Repeated Use of Refuge and Other Crisis Accommodation Summary: This report sets out the findings of a res earch project investigating Early Intervention Strategies to Reduce the Need for Women and Children to Make Repeated Use of Refuge and Other Crisis Accommodation. The project is intended to bring forward knowledge of the reasons for the decisions made by women who have been subject to domestic and family violence regarding whether to leave the family home for a refuge in order to escape the abuse, whether to return to the perpetrator and whether to leave again. It also explores the efficacy of primary prevention and early intervention schemes, including perpetrator behaviour change programs, in reducing women's and children's multiple experiences of refuge and other emergency accommodation. Finally, the project explores what best practice and service standards would be needed if Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) models were to be implemented more widely in Australia. The research has been funded by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) under the National Homelessness Research Partnership. The research questions are: - Why is it that women and children often leave home and return several times before an abusive situation of domestic and family violence ends? - What Australian evidence is there about the number of incidents of violence and abuse experienced by a woman, and the number of separate occasions a woman may access homelessness accommodation services, prior to resolution of her domestic violence situation? - How and to what extent have innovative early intervention schemes introduced in Australia since the mid-1990s been successful in enabling women and children to reduce their multiple experiences of violence and multiple use of refuge and other emergency accommodation? - What are the advantages and disadvantages of different responses in terms of service provision and from the point of view of the woman and her children? - What best practice risk assessment processes and service standards and arrangements are needed if Safe at Home/SHLV models are to be implemented more widely? - Do these findings have other implications for Australian policy and practice ? Details: Melbourne: Swinburne Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology, 2012. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/spinney_2012_-_reducing_the_need_for_women_and_children_to_make_repeated_use_of_refuge_and_other_crisis_accommodation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/spinney_2012_-_reducing_the_need_for_women_and_children_to_make_repeated_use_of_refuge_and_other_crisis_accommodation.pdf Shelf Number: 139643 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHomelessness (Australia)HousingVictim Services |
Author: American Civil Liberties Union. Women's Rights Project Title: Silenced: How Nuisance Ordinances Punish Crime Victims in New York Summary: Housing security and access to effective emergency and police assistance are fundamental elements of creating safe and vibrant communities. For victims of domestic violence, housing and police access can take on even more importance, as they are often integral to escaping life-threatening violence and living free from abuse. However, municipalities across the country are increasingly enacting laws that penalize tenants and property owners based on police response or criminal activity occurring on a property. These laws - typically called nuisance ordinances, crime free ordinances, or disorderly house laws - deter crime victims from reporting crime and frequently lead to evictions or other harmful penalties for victims who do call 911 in an emergency. Details: New York: ACLU Women's Rights Project, 2015. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 26, 2016 at: https://www.aclu.org/report/silenced-how-nuisance-ordinances-punish-crime-victims-new-york Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.aclu.org/report/silenced-how-nuisance-ordinances-punish-crime-victims-new-york Shelf Number: 139861 Keywords: Disorderly ConductHousingNuisance Behaviors and DisordersNuisance OrdinancesViolence Against Women |
Author: Tesfai, Afomeia Title: The Long Road Home: Decreasing Barriers to Public Housing for People with Criminal Records Summary: Housing is a fundamental necessity to effectively integrate formerly incarcerated individuals with their families and communities. Lacking stable housing negatively affects mental and physical health, employment, income, access to healthcare services, family unity, and recidivism. Research and analysis reveal that historical policies have created racial inequities in housing and health outcomes, and that public housing admissions screening policies play an important role in creating the conditions for successful reentry of those people who were incarcerated. In a survey from the 2015 Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Forward Together report, "Who Pays? The True Cost of Incarceration on Families", 79% of people who had been incarcerated were either ineligible or denied public housing as a result of criminal history. More than half of those released from jail or prison have unstable or nonexistent housing. This report assesses the health and equity impacts of public housing admissions screening policies that exclude people with a criminal history from public housing, using the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) in Oakland, California as a case study. Having housing improves health directly and indirectly, decreases recidivism, improves the chance of becoming employed and having more income, and helps with family reunification. These factors, known in public health as the "social determinants of health", create opportunities to succeed and are known to be important for health and wellbeing. For example: - Moving often affects recidivism. The odds of recidivism increase by at least 70% for every time someone who is formerly incarcerated changes their residence. - Six randomized control trials analyzed supported employment in public housing against other approaches to help residents find jobs, and found 58% of public housing program participants obtained employment compared to 21% in the control group. - More than 70% of those leaving prison indicated that family is an important factor in keeping them out of prison, and up to 82% of people leaving prison or jail expect to live with or get help from their families. - Having stable housing upon leaving jail or prison decreases a person's chance of having their probation revoked. The outcomes stemming from having stable and affordable housing are clear: research shows that lack of stable and affordable housing forces families to frequently move and live in unhealthy and crowded environments, increases stress and depression, and can lead to homelessness. Homelessness brings higher rates of infectious diseases; substance use and mental health disorders; exposure to violence; overexposure to cold and rain; and suicide. Studies show that between 25% - 50% of people who are homeless have a history of involvement with the criminal justice system. Those who have been involved with the criminal justice system are disproportionately people of color, low income, and mentally ill and, due to the intersection of these factors, are at high risk for housing instability and negative health outcomes. The United States has a history of racial discrimination and unjust treatment towards people of color, dating back to slavery, Black Codes, and Jim Crow laws. With the War on Drugs in the 1970's, 80's and 90's, this history is currently manifested in criminal justice policies that have led to vastly disproportionate outcomes by race. The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 9.5% of whites and 10.5% of Blacks used illicit drugs in the last month, but drug-related arrest rates are 332 per 100,000 residents for Whites and 879 per 100,000 for Blacks. Compared to their White counterparts, Blacks are more likely to be incarcerated for the same crime and receive longer sentences. A series of federal laws enacted in the 1990's led to decreased access to public housing for people with a criminal history. In 2002, for example, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld PHAs' authority to evict an entire household based on the criminal activity of one member or guest without specific proof that the tenant had any knowledge of the activity. Statistics and historical policies like these have resulted in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releasing guidance on April 4, 2016 explicitly stating their goal of increasing access to safe, secure, and affordable housing for formerly incarcerated people. The 2016 guidance states that, due to the extreme over-representation of people of color in the criminal justice system, the consideration of criminal histories in screening procedures used by housing providers, including Public Housing Authorities, may lead to violations of the Fair Housing Act. This report examines the Oakland Housing Authority as a case study. We consider OHA's screening policies and practices and specifically how they consider the presentation of "mitigating circumstances" for people with a criminal history during the application process. In Alameda County in 2014, there were almost 4,800 people returning from state prison, 3,200 people were in county jail on any give day, and 1 out 4 people have a criminal record. We estimate that at least 20,000 people are currently at risk of residential instability because of their criminal history. Because they are vastly over-represented in the criminal justice system, this places an inequitable burden on Blacks. Details: Oakland, CA: Human Impact Partners, 2016. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2016 at: http://www.ellabakercenter.org/sites/default/files/media/OHA-HIA-Final-Report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.ellabakercenter.org/sites/default/files/media/OHA-HIA-Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 146144 Keywords: Criminal HistoryEx-OffendersHousingPrisoner ReentryRetrictive Housing |
Author: Prison Reform Trust Title: Home truths: housing for women in the criminal justice system Summary: The failure to solve a chronic shortage of suitable housing options for women who offend leads to more crime, more victims and more unnecessary and costly imprisonment. Safe, secure housing is crucial in breaking that cycle and the harm it causes to our communities, to the women involved and to their families. Many women lose their homes while in custody and 60% of women prisoners may not have homes to go to on release. - Because women are often imprisoned further from their homes than men, they can have more difficulty in retaining a 'local connection', which is a common precondition for local authority housing. - A lack of appropriate and safe accommodation increases the risk of (re)offending - without stable housing it is harder to engage in employment and training, or to access support services. - Hostel accommodation may expose women to potentially risky situations. - Suitable accommodation options for women, especially those with children or those affected by substance misuse, mental health problems, or domestic abuse are in short supply. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women are over-represented in prison, and face additional barriers to housing. - There is a lack of clarity and consistency about responsibility for the housing of women offenders. - Women in prison need more timely advice about their housing options and support to sustain tenancies or apply for housing. - Communication, cooperation and joined up working between prison authorities, probation services, housing providers, and local authorities needs to be urgently improved. Details: London: PRT, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2016 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Home%20Truths.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Home%20Truths.pdf Shelf Number: 146149 Keywords: Female OffendersHomelessnessHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: Housing and Services After Prison: Evaluation of the St. Leonard's House Reentry Program Summary: More than 500,000 individuals are released from prison each year. As they return to their communities, they face obstacles in finding employment and housing, as well as significant debt, outstanding fines, and restitution payments. Two-thirds of this population are arrested again within three years. St. Leonard's House in Chicago offers voluntary, supportive housing for men exiting prison. Program clients receive housing, substance abuse treatment, psychological services, life skills, mentoring, and education and vocational services. Authority researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, as well as quasi-experimental design and advanced statistical analysis, to examine outcomes after program participation, including arrests, convictions, incarcerations, and employment. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2016. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: http://www.icjia.org/assets/articles/SLH%20FINAL%2011-16-16.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.org/assets/articles/SLH%20FINAL%2011-16-16.pdf Shelf Number: 146033 Keywords: Ex-Offenders, HousingHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Family Justice Title: Enhancing Rural Reentry Through Housing Partnerships: A Handbook for Community Corrections Agencies in Rural Areas Summary: Family Justice initiated the project "Housing Partnerships to Enhance Reentry Outcomes" in response to rural community corrections officers grappling with housing families involved in the criminal justice system. Time and again community corrections officers cited the same challenges. With support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Family Justice explored the challenges of rural housing and reentry, as well as opportunities for collaboration that could yield creative solutions. The Handbook Rather than dictating a course of action, this handbook is meant to spur consideration and collaboration and share what Family Justice has learned about rural housing and reentry. The following pages discuss potentially beneficial partnerships that community corrections departments can cultivate to fully tap resources and expertise. The handbook also suggests various strategies to increase housing options for people coming home from jail and prison—and for their families. This manual offers community corrections: Strategies for partnering with families and supporting them through the reentry process Strategies for broad-based collaboration to address affordable-housing access issues Information about housing laws and policies that affect people involved in the justice system in rural areas Information about rural housing programs and low-income housing tax credits This handbook can also serve as a resource for housing professionals by providing information about the potential benefits and challenges to housing families involved in the justice system. The handbook describes opportunities for collaboration with community corrections agencies in rural communities to enhance public safety. Details: New York: Family Justice, 2009. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2017 at: https://www.appa-net.org/eweb/docs/appa/pubs/ERRTHP.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: https://www.appa-net.org/eweb/docs/appa/pubs/ERRTHP.pdf Shelf Number: 145385 Keywords: HousingPrisoner ReentryRural AreasRural Corrections |
Author: Growns, Bethany Title: Supported Accommodation Services for People Released from Custody: A systematic review to inform the development of the Rainbow Lodge Program Summary: A 2015 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that there were 51,000 instances of people being released from Australian prisons in 2014 (AIHW, 2015). There is a substantial need for programs that provide support and services to people at this vulnerable time. Securing safe and secure accommodation is one of the most critical challenges that people leaving custody face; however, obtaining housing can be problematic due to interpersonal conflict, lack of family, complex treatment needs and limited finances (Fontaine & Biess, 2012; Graffam & Shinkfield, 2012; Roman & Travis, 2004). Therefore, people recently released from custody may rely on other options, such as supported accommodation programs or homeless shelters (Clark, 2015). These can take many forms, including 'halfway houses', where people live in a house as a group, sometimes following a therapeutic program; or scattered site supported housing programs, where people are provided with their own accommodation (i.e. a house or apartment), while also receiving therapeutic support in the form of home visits and/or participating in other therapeutic activities (e.g. attending a day centre). There is a growing demand within the field of criminal justice for more rigorous research and evaluation of interventions (Wright, Zhang, Farabee, & Braatz, 2014). Demonstrating the effectiveness of criminal justice interventions is critical in developing and producing evidence-based programs that can produce tangible outcomes for individuals. There is some evidence that interventions for people released from prison that include an accommodation component are effective in reducing re-offending and the severity of future re-offending (Seiter & Kadela, 2003; Somers, Rezansoff, Moniruzzaman, Palepu, & Patterson, 2013). A recent narrative review examined the efficacy of a variety of post-release programs, including programs that included a residential component, provided counselling services, vocational training, education or aftercare. Programs that included some kind of a residential component were found to produce the most positive results overall (Wright et al., 2014). Existing reviews have not looked at specific forms of supported accommodation for people released from prison, nor identified elements of supported accommodation services that contribute to positive outcomes. Objectives of this study The Rainbow Lodge Program is a non-profit organisation in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, that provides a responsive, intensive and supportive service to male Corrective Services clients assessed with having high needs, a strong risk of re-offending and homelessness, in order that they effectively re-enter and integrate into the community. This study has been undertaken to: Document the Rainbow Lodge Program; and Identify opportunities for the development of the Rainbow Lodge Program as an evidence-informed service. To these ends, this report includes: A description of the Rainbow Lodge Program, developed in consultation with staff and management of the Program; The results of a systematic review aimed at assessing the evidence on effectiveness of post-release supported accommodation programs similar to Rainbow Lodge, and identifying elements of such programs that contribute to positive client outcomes; and Implications of the findings of the systematic review for the Rainbow Lodge Program. Results of the systematic review The systematic review identified only nine publications meeting the eligibility criteria for inclusion (evaluation of a post-release supported accommodation program similar to the Rainbow Lodge Program). Studies were frequently methodologically flawed, and few consistent findings were evident, with regards to either effectiveness of post-release supported accommodation programs in reducing recidivism, or program characteristics associated with positive participant outcomes. Recommendations for the Rainbow Lodge Program Given the inconclusive findings of the review, it is difficult to identify recommendations for the day-to-day operations or components of the Rainbow Lodge Program. What is clear from the review is that there is a need for methodologically rigorous, comprehensive research on this type of post-release program, particularly outside the United States. Ideally, an outcome evaluation would be undertaken to assess the impact of the Rainbow Lodge Program on recidivism and other outcomes. However, there are important challenges to consider in proposing an outcome evaluation: identification and recruitment of an appropriate comparison group, and recruitment of sufficient numbers of participants to detect any effect that may exist. Given the challenges of undertaking an outcome evaluation (which will require further planning to be overcome), in the short-term, a process evaluation may be a more feasible option for further research on the Rainbow Lodge Program. This could include a retrospective file review, as well as quantitative and qualitative data collection with current residents. In order to enable future research, it is recommended that the Rainbow Lodge Program introduce a “Consent to research” form at program entry. This will allow client assessments to be used in research, and data linkage into the future. Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2016. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: NDARC Technical Report No. 335: Accessed February 21, 2017 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/NDARC%20Technical%20Report%20No%20335.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/NDARC%20Technical%20Report%20No%20335.pdf Shelf Number: 141142 Keywords: Community InterventionsHalfway HousesHousingPrisoner ReentryPrisons |
Author: diZerega, Margaret Title: Report to the New York City Housing Authority on Applying and Lifting Permanent Exclusions for Criminal Conduct Summary: The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is conducting an internal review of its policies related to permanent exclusions for criminal conduct on NYCHA property. Permanent exclusion (PE) occurs when a NYCHA tenant - rather than risk eviction - enters into a stipulation that those associated with the resident who have engaged in non-desirable behavior are barred from entering the apartment. It also occurs as a result of an administrative hearing where NYCHA seeks an eviction, but the hearing officer opts to preserve the tenancy and bars the offending person from the apartment. To inform this policy review, NYCHA partnered with the Vera Institute of Justice and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The review sought to understand how NYCHA could better balance its commitments to the safety of the community, the stability of its tenants' families, and the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated people. The following recommendations reflect an extensive review of existing policies and practices around PE, interviews with NYCHA staff, a meeting with NYCHA residents, and social science research on risk mitigation and future offending. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2017. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 6, 2017 at: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/report-to-the-new-york-city-housing-authority-on-applying-and-lifting-permanent-exclusions-for-criminal-conduct/legacy_downloads/nycha-lifting-permanent-exclusions-for-criminal-conduct-v3.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/report-to-the-new-york-city-housing-authority-on-applying-and-lifting-permanent-exclusions-for-criminal-conduct/legacy_downloads/nycha-lifting-permanent-ex Shelf Number: 145582 Keywords: Disorderly ConductHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Willis, Matthew Title: Supported Housing for Prisoners Returning to the Community: A Review of the Literature Summary: Commissioned by Corrections Victoria to inform its future strategies for delivering housing support strategies to people leaving the prison system, this report presents a literature that builds on two earlier reviews conducted in 2010 and 2013. Those earlier reviews identified a range of models and approaches to delivering housing support that represented the key elements of good and promising practice. In the period since 2013 new literature has become available that builds on this evidence base, reasserting some of the earlier findings, adding clarity to others, and expanding into new considerations. Several recent studies have reinforced the need to provide housing assistance for people leaving prison. Interviews with police detainees showed that nearly one quarter had been homeless or experiencing housing stress in the month before being arrested. A study by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute emphasised the role of demographic factors in contributing to homelessness, with 42 percent of homeless people across Australia being found in just 10 percent of Australian regions. The demographic factors that contribute to homelessness tend to be the same as those that contribute to engagement with the criminal justice system and there are substantial cross-overs between homeless and correctional populations. A number of other recent studies have highlighted the value of meeting the need for housing support. Studies conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) have shown that the costs of even resource intensive housing assistance are substantially less the cost of imprisonment and harms resulting from reoffending. Other studies have reinforced earlier findings on the association between housing stability and reductions in recidivism, with former prisoners in stable housing much less likely to reoffend than those in circumstances of homelessness or unstable accommodation. While research has shown all program elements used in aftercare programs for ex-prisoners have the potential to be effective, including housing components together with aftercare support enhanced ex-prisoner's chances of successfully reintegrating with the community. Consistent with the risk principle of correctional programming, housingrelated services produced the most effective outcomes, in terms of reduced offending and order revocations, for medium- and high-risk offenders. Despite the demonstrated needs and value of providing housing assistance to released prisoners, recent evidence points to the likelihood of community resistance to establishing transitional or other support housing. A United States (US) survey of attitudes towards re-entry initiatives found a moderate degree of public support for the provision of housing assistance to offenders. This support diminished rapidly when the assistance was intended for serious or repeat offenders, or when the hypothetical notion of a housing facility being established in the respondent's own neighbourhood was raised. The study found very little public support for transitional housing for violent and sex offenders. Models of housing support identified in the literature included models with differing degrees of control or choice by clients. Custodial housing applications are most applicable for people with severe mental illness who require strict controls, limited or absent choice, and housing that is tied directly to treatment. The terms supportive housing and supported housing tend to be used interchangeably in the literature. Attempts to establish different definitions of the terms have tended to place supportive housing in the realm of rehabilitation, with clients being allowed increasing degrees of control and choice as they transition through different levels of supervision. Conversely, supported housing tends to be used more for approaches focused on recovery in which clients live independently and exercise choice in regard to the range of flexible and individualised supported services available to them. However, not only is the terminology often used interchangeably, different models are not considered mutually exclusive, and some programs will often a blend of supportive and supported housing, sometimes including emergency crisis accommodation and transitional housing in their mix of services. Evaluations of supportive and supported housing programs have shown they have a potential to deliver positive outcomes for clients, including physical and financial security, greater social inclusion, greater feelings of stability and control and increased well-being. These evaluations and related discussions of housing models emphasise their application to psychiatric populations and care should be taken in assessing the applicability of any given approach to other vulnerable populations, including offenders. In Australia, two dominant models of supportive housing have emerged. The Common Ground model is based on congregated housing with onsite support and social services. It has been implemented through an alliance of housing providers across five states, including Victoria. Scattered-site housing models utilise geographically dispersed accommodation with clients receiving support services through outreach from allied organisations. Neither of these models should be considered as fixed or rigid, with many different approaches and designs being implemented within these broad models. One of the characterising features of both models is the flexible and individualised support provided to clients. The nature and intensity of the support can vary widely across programs and between individuals, but the most effective models appear to be those that allow clients to determine the services they receive. One of the important areas of development in the recent literature is the emergence of difference financial models, including social impact investment approaches. Often aligned with strategies such as Justice Reinvestment, social impact investments have taken forms such as Social Impact Bonds and Payment by Results methods. Each of these strategies aims to deliver social reforms and interventions without substantial up-front costs or risks to government, through investment arrangements with commercial or philanthropic organisations. Social impact investments potentially represent a way for government to deliver costly housing initiatives without impacting on other areas of need or government expenditure. A range of different housing support models are in place across Australia, each aiming to provide stable and secure accommodation for offender clients at high risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. In many ways the Australian implementations have similarities with those implemented in the US and UK, even though the elements and approaches vary between programs and locations. Quite different approaches are in place in some European countries, resulting from the different ways offenders are managed in those countries. Practices in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands emphasise rehabilitation and normalisation, aiming to have the experiences of life in prison parallel those in the community as much as possible. People leaving prison in those countries have typically had substantial opportunities to maintain family relationships and maintain or secure accommodation well before they are released. There remains little clear evidence of the application or effectiveness of different housing models and approaches to vulnerable groups within correctional populations. The evidence shows that sex offenders, particularly sexually violent offenders with strict limitations on their residence and movements are at heightened risk of homelessness on release from prison. International experience shows that attempts to establish housing options for sexually violent offenders are likely to meet with substantial resistance from communities as well as local authorities. Little attention appears to have been paid in the literature to the housing support needs of Indigenous Australians. Overall, a review of the recent literature on supported housing for correctional populations highlights the importance of flexible and individually oriented approaches to delivering housing assistance. Good practice in housing support focuses on individual needs and the provision of appropriate degrees and types of individual choice and control. Holistic and integrated wraparound services delivered through collaborative, multi-agency approaches that span the range of individual support and treatment needs remain an integral part of good practice housing support interventions. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2016. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: http://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/corrections/resources/19acadf4-576b-4fd8-9158-b3c3248a6c77/literature_review_prisoner_housing_model.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/corrections/resources/19acadf4-576b-4fd8-9158-b3c3248a6c77/literature_review_prisoner_housing_model.pdf Shelf Number: 141353 Keywords: HousingPrisoner ReentrySupported Housing |
Author: Clifasefi, Seema L. Title: LEAD Program Evaluation: The Impact of LEAD on Housing, Employment and Income/Benefits Summary: This report describes findings for LEAD participants in terms of their housing, employment, and income/benefits both prior and subsequent to their referral to LEAD. Participants were significantly more likely to obtain housing, employment and legitimate income in any given month subsequent to their LEAD referral (i.e., during the 18-month follow-up) compared to the month prior to their referral (i.e., baseline). Details: Seattle: Harm Reduction Research and Treatment Lab University of Washington - Harborview Medical Center, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2017 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1185392/27047605/1464389327667/housing_employment_evaluation_final.PDF?token=wDGLg%2FqS9%2F%2BU7RqNSghgCggBUkA%3D Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1185392/27047605/1464389327667/housing_employment_evaluation_final.PDF?token=wDGLg%2FqS9%2F%2BU7RqNSghgCggBUkA%3D Shelf Number: 146091 Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration Drug Offenders EmploymentHousingOffender Diversion Programs ProstitutesTreatment Programs |
Author: John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Prisoner Reentry Institute Title: A Place to Call Home: A Vision for Safe, Supportive and Affordable Housing for People with Justice System Involvement Summary: Everyone should have a safe, stable place to live - not just access to shelter, but to a place to call home. Housing is a fundamental human need that lays the foundation for success in every aspect of our lives. When we have a home, we have a safe space to lay our head at night, store our personal belongings, a kitchen where we can cook our meals, and a launch pad from which we can seek jobs, attend school, and connect with our friends and family. Having a place to call home defines our place in the world, our sense of belonging, and our relatedness to others. People with past involvement in the justice system need housing in order to reconstruct their lives. In many cases, they were previously experiencing homelessness or are unable to return to the place they lived before. As they look for a home, however, they find the doors to housing closed at every turn. Too often, they are denied this basic need because of their criminal justice history. They face discrimination in the private housing market, scarcity of subsidized housing, lack of affordable places to live, and bans from public housing, all of which puts a stable place to call home out of reach. The result? The system relegates people with criminal justice involvement to the streets, to shelters, and to unregulated substandard housing - options that don't provide the support necessary for them to achieve their potential. Shelters are often overcrowded and unsafe. They are temporary, causing the stress that comes from living a transient life. People living in such places often have no refrigerator where they can store fresh food. They can't hang their clothes in closets in preparation for job interviews or work. They have no secure space to keep their valuables, photographs, or family keepsakes. They have no permanent address for job or school applications. Rather than providing the basis for success, these types of shelter more often lead to a cycle of homelessness and repeated jail or prison stays. On October 27, 2016, stakeholders from the public and nonprofit sectors gathered at John Jay College of Criminal Justice for Excluded: A Dialogue on Safe, Supportive and Affordable Housing for People with Justice System Involvement, co-hosted by the Prisoner Reentry Institute of John Jay College, The Fortune Society, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), and the Supportive Housing Network of New York. It was a day of conversation about the importance of housing to successful reentry for people who have been involved in the criminal justice system. It was a day to talk about shared values and second chances, and to outline the obstacles preventing people from finding housing. It was a day to focus on model solutions that have been proven to work so that everyone, no matter what their needs, has access to a place to call home. Increasing access to safe, affordable and supportive housing for people with criminal justice histories furthers the shared values that Americans have held dear since the founding of this country. As a nation, we share a desire for a just society with opportunity for all. We believe that everyone deserves a fair chance to achieve their potential. We believe in redemption, the idea that people should be given the chance for a new start after they falter, and merit patience and compassion as they do so. We believe that individuals can change, given the opportunity to start over in society after making amends. We believe in community - that we are better off when everyone can contribute and participate. Housing builds such opportunity and, where there is more opportunity, life improves for all of us. This document makes the case for providing dignified housing that meets the needs of those with criminal justice histories, and providing it as quickly as possible upon reentry. Details: New York: The Institute, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2017 at: https://kf4fx1bdsjx2as1vf38ctp7p-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Place_to_Call_Home_FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://kf4fx1bdsjx2as1vf38ctp7p-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Place_to_Call_Home_FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf Shelf Number: 148047 Keywords: Ex-OffendersHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Easton, Helen Title: Evaluation of the Chrysalis Project: Providing accommodation and support for women exiting prostitution Summary: The Chrysalis Project provides three phases of accommodation and support for women who have a connection to the London Borough of Lambeth and who have experienced trauma, abuse and sexual exploitation through their involvement in street-based prostitution. This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Chrysalis Project with a focus on the third phase which provides independent moveon accommodation and support for women in properties provided specifically for this purpose by Commonweal Housing. Background London Borough of Lambeth is believed to have one of the largest street sex markets in South London with an estimated 150-180 women thought to be involved in prostitution in the borough. In 2002 St Mungo's, Lambeth Substance Misuse Team (LSMT), Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust (LCPT) and the Stockwell Project formed a partnership to proactively engage women involved in prostitution who were vulnerably housed or who had been displaced through the closure of crack houses. Several key objectives were set by the partnership including improving the numbers of these women entering drug treatment, rehabilitation and detoxification programmes and also improving partnership working to meet the needs of this extremely vulnerable group. In 2008 the South London Women's Hostel (SLWH) was refurbished, however a staged process for moving women on through the accommodation and on to independent living had not been established. This led to a partnership between St Mungo's and Commonweal Housing to provide suitable independent stand alone accommodation for women ready to leave the hostel environment. This partnership became known as the Chrysalis Project and provides women in Lambeth involved in street based prostitution an evidence based, staged exiting model combined with three phases of supported accommodation. While recently there have been a number of changes to how the project is delivered, this evaluation focuses on the original model but documents and discusses the possible impact of some of these changes. Details: Canterbury, UK: University of Kent, 2012. 121p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2018 at: https://www.commonwealhousing.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Commonweal_Chrysalis_Final_Report_261012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.commonwealhousing.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Commonweal_Chrysalis_Final_Report_261012.pdf Shelf Number: 148944 Keywords: Homelessness Housing Prostitutes Prostitution Sex Workers |
Author: Willis, Matthew Title: Supported housing for prisoners returning to the community: A review of the literature Summary: Commissioned by Corrections Victoria to inform its future strategies for delivering housing support strategies to people leaving the prison system, this report presents literature that builds on two earlier reviews conducted in 2010 and 2013. Those earlier reviews identified a range of models and approaches to delivering housing support that embodied the key elements of good and promising practice. Since 2013, new literature has become available that builds on this evidence base-reasserting some of the earlier findings, adding clarity to others, and introducing new considerations. Several recent studies have reinforced the need for housing support for people leaving prison. Interviews with police detainees show nearly a quarter were homeless or experienced housing stress in the month before arrest. A study by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute emphasized the role of demographic factors in contributing to homelessness, with 42 percent of homeless people found in just 10 percent of Australian regions. The demographic factors that contribute to homelessness tend to be the same as those that contribute to engagement with the criminal justice system, and there are substantial crossovers between homeless and correctional populations. Other recent studies have highlighted the value of meeting the need for housing support. Studies conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) have shown that the costs of even resourceintensive housing support are substantially less than the costs of imprisonment and the harms that result from reoffending. Other studies have reinforced earlier findings on the association between housing stability and reduced recidivism, with former prisoners in stable housing much less likely to reoffend than those who are homeless or in unstable accommodation. While research has shown that all of the elements used in aftercare programs for ex-prisoners have the potential to be effective, including housing components-together with other aftercare support-enhanced an ex-prisoner's chances of successfully reintegrating into the community. Consistent with the risk principle of correctional programming, housing services produced the most effective outcomes for medium- and high-risk offenders in terms of reduced offending and order revocations. Despite the demonstrated need for, and value of, providing housing support to released prisoners, recent evidence suggests the community is resistant to establishing transitional or other supported housing. A United States (US) survey of attitudes towards re-entry initiatives found a moderate degree of public support for the provision of housing support to offenders. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 07: Accessed May 7, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/rr/rr7 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/rr/rr7 Shelf Number: 150069 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHousingPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Ruan, Nantiya Title: Too High a Price 2: Move on to Where? Summary: Over two years have passed since the University of Denver Sturm College of Law's Homeless Advocacy Policy Project released its report, Too High a Price, detailing the tremendous expenditures Colorado cities make in an effort to criminalize homelessness. As Colorado housing costs continue to skyrocket, its homeless epidemic has grown as well. Unfortunately, state actors continue to write, pass, and enforce ordinances that criminalize some of our most basic, life-sustaining activities. Laws such as camping, sitting or lying in public, begging, and loitering disproportionately target behaviors associated with homelessness, leaving one of the state's most vulnerable populations living in fear. As a follow-up to Too High a Price, this Report details the increased efforts to criminalize homelessness in the state of Colorado. Through an examination of three of Colorado's most prominent cities, Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, this Report highlights the stark rise in enforcement of anti-homeless laws, and the disproportionate and inhumane impact they have on the day-to-day lives of people experiencing homelessness. In the process of examining Colorado's ever-increasing criminalization of homelessness, we found that law enforcement frequently issues "move-on" orders to remove visible poverty from its city streets. A move-on order, also referred to as a police "street check," is a law enforcement technique used to further enforce certain ordinances, including camping bans. In lieu of issuing a citation or making an arrest, officers are directed to instruct homeless individuals, upon contact, to pack up their belongings and "move on" to somewhere else. At first glance, these move-on orders may seem like a viable alternative to outright issuing citations. However, with the extreme decline in affordable housing and the lack of emergency shelter space to accommodate Colorado's growing homeless population, these move-on orders leave homeless people with nowhere to go. Instead, they are merely pushed from one place to the next. To analyze the trends of criminalization of homelessness, we utilized Open Records Requests to obtain data detailing the enforcement of anti-homeless laws in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder. This data revealed that Colorado cities have increased enforcement more than we anticipated. Furthermore, we researched the adverse effects move-on orders have on homeless populations. Based on this research and data, we came to the following conclusions: - The overall number of anti-homelessness ordinances has increased. Between Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder, there are at least thirty-seven ordinances that criminalize behaviors associated with people experiencing homelessness. Since Too High a Price was first released, Colorado Springs has added one new anti-homeless ordinance and Denver Law students found four additional ordinances in Denver. - Colorado Springs and Boulder have increased the number of citations issued under camping bans. In 2017, Boulder issued 376 citations under its camping ban ordinance. Of those 376 citations, an incredible 81.9% were issued to homeless individuals. Additionally, Colorado Springs increased its enforcement of its two camping bans by a staggering 545% over the span of three years. - Denver's use of move-on orders has skyrocketed at an alarming rate. In 2016 alone, Denver law enforcement made contact with over 5,000 people in move-on encounters. Denver police increased its contact with homeless individuals through the use of street checks by 475% in the span of three years. - The number of emergency shelter beds cannot accommodate Colorado's homeless population. In all three cities we surveyed, none provide enough beds to meet the needs of its homeless populations. In Colorado Springs, the number of year-round shelter space can only accommodate 38% of El Paso County's homeless population. Boulder has even fewer resources, with only enough beds for roughly 25% of its homeless population. Denver doesn't fare better, with the 2017 Point-in-Time count indicating that on a given night, nearly 1,000 homeless people sleep on the streets. - Move-on orders have overwhelming collateral consequences on homeless populations. The use of move-on orders has grave consequences on people experiencing homeless, including: pushing people to dangerous areas, pushing people farther away from vital resources, and causing adverse health effects. As homeless people are forced into the shadows, extremely harmful consequences usually follow. Beyond the lack of shelter space and affordable housing, and how criminalization makes homelessness harder to escape, the larger issue is this: why are we so uncomfortable with facing homelessness? Our parks are for everyone. Our streets are for public use. Our free speech rights allow for all citizens to ask for what they may need. We should not view visible poverty as something to be avoided at all costs-especially if that cost results in further degradation and ostracism. Despite some city officials acknowledging that issuing citations does nothing to solve the homeless crisis, our research reveals that city actors continue to criminalize homelessness. This Report concludes by offering suggested changes for Colorado cities moving forward. First, only through stopping the criminalization efforts will we begin to alleviate the vicious cycle of homelessness in Colorado. Colorado cities should repeal camping bans that merely criminalize the human necessity to sleep and rest, provide new resources to homeless populations such as twenty-four-hour restrooms, and invest in education efforts that promote the dignity of people in poverty. Trying to make homelessness invisible does nothing more than make homelessness inevitable. Details: Denver: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Homeless Advocacy Policy Project, 2018. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 18-14: Accessed May 9, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3174780 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3174780 Shelf Number: 150126 Keywords: Begging Homeless Persons Homelessness HousingLoiteringPanhandling Vagrants |
Author: Drummond, Caroline Title: 'Have you got anybody you can stay with?' Housing options for young adults leaving custody Summary: Safe and stable housing is a critical factor in reducing reoffending rates for young people leaving custody. It provides the foundations for a young person to rebuild their life and move forward into a positive future away from crime. However, many young custody leavers face severe challenges in accessing accommodation on release; a situation which can push them into homelessness, chaotic housing situations and reoffending. Centrepoint and Nacro have conducted this research to examine the housing options and support in place for young people as they leave the prison system. The research is based on interviews with young custody leavers aged 18 to 25, and interviews with the practitioners who support them across a range of agencies. This research was carried out in late 2017, before the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) and before the clarification from Government that all young people under 21 who have secured accommodation would be able to claim housing costs through Universal Credit. Our analysis highlights three thematic requirements and associated barriers which we believe need to be addressed to enable young people to access safe and secure accommodation on release from custody. While we continue to call for a joined up, cross government Housing Strategy which meets the needs of vulnerable people, including young people that leave the criminal justice system each year, we have identified some practical solutions, that if adopted in the current system could make a real difference to young people leaving custody and experiencing barriers to accessing safe and stable housing. a) Young people leaving custody need the right preparation: - Young people leaving custody should have a resettlement plan to ensure that their housing needs are met and necessary services are in place prior to their release; however, many of the participants in the research reported that planning was insufficient and not done far enough ahead of their release to be effective. - Disruptions such as transfers to different prisons during a sentence can hinder effective pre-release planning and mean that young people miss out on the engagement and support they need. - Inconsistencies in joint working between prisons, community rehabilitation companies (CRC) and the National Probation Service (NPS) make it difficult to offer consistent pre- and post-release preparation and assistance. Practitioners also highlighted high workloads and insufficient resources as barriers to providing meaningful support. - Young people in custody for short periods or recalled to custody may not have the opportunity to engage with housing and post-release planning, increasing the risk of poor housing outcomes and reoffending upon release. - Home Detention Curfew (HDC) can ease the transition from custody, improve access to employment and training opportunities and assist resettlement in general. However, practitioners expressed concerns that some young people who would be eligible cannot access HDC because they do not have housing to go to or provide unsuitable home addresses. b) Young people leaving custody need access to a safe and stable home with an ongoing support network: - Too many young people experience homelessness after leaving custody. Across Centrepoint's accommodation, young custody leavers are almost twice as likely to have slept rough as those without experience with the prison system. This risks them turning to negative support networks and reoffending in order to secure a bed for the night. - Historically some local housing authorities have not assessed young people until they have left custody, even though pre-release work with probation and rehabilitation services may begin months before. This means young people are only able to engage at a point of crisis, undermining efforts to prevent homelessness. - Prior to the HRA some young custody leavers are seen as having made themselves 'intentionally homeless' by their local authority on the basis of having been convicted of a crime, and in general are not seen as being in priority need for homelessness assistance despite their vulnerability. The implementation of the HRA provides an opportunity to ensure this is no longer possible. - While supported accommodation is often the most suitable option for young people leaving custody, proposed changes to funding may put services at risk, particularly those that support people without a statutory right to housing. - The private rented sector is largely inaccessible for young custody leavers, with high upfront costs which are unaffordable for many prison leavers. Interviewees also highlighted landlords' reluctance to let to young people in general and especially young custody leavers. - Returning to the family is often a young person's best accommodation option after leaving custody and the retention of family links throughout a sentence can decrease the chance of reoffending. However, this does not work for those young people who have come from an unstable family situation, and should not be assumed as the best option in every case. c) Young people leaving custody need financial security: - Making a claim for Universal Credit can be difficult while in custody, where access to the internet and Job centre Plus work coaches is limited and inconsistent and where young people may not have the documentation they need to complete an application. However, these barriers are leading to unacceptable delays in receiving essential financial support after release. - Lower entitlements to benefits make it much more difficult for custody leavers to access appropriate housing they can afford. The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) drastically limits the accommodation available and can force custody leavers into shared housing which may not be appropriate for their needs. - The discharge grant someone receives when leaving prison has remained at L46 for over 15 years. For young custody leavers trying to make a fresh start whilst looking for employment or waiting for benefits to be processed, this amount is not enough for them to get back on their feet. - Finding and sustaining employment is key to securing accommodation and reducing reoffending. The research highlights some innovative and effective training programmes, building in wraparound support around employment, but found that provision is inconsistent across the wider prison and probation estate. - Criminal records present a major barrier for young custody leavers looking to access employment, with both employers and applicants unsure what legally needs to be disclosed. Details: London: Nacro; Centre Point, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Report: Accessed June 15, 2018 at: https://www.nacro.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Nacro-Centrepoint-Report-Have-you-got-anybody-you-can-stay-with-June-2018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nacro.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Nacro-Centrepoint-Report-Have-you-got-anybody-you-can-stay-with-June-2018.pdf Shelf Number: 150557 Keywords: HousingJuvenile ReentryOffender ResettlementPrisoner ReentryYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Harman, Jennifer J. Title: A Study of Homelessness in Seven Colorado Jails Summary: "A Study of Homelessness in Seven Colorado Jails" surveyed 507 inmates in jails in Arapahoe County, the City and County of Denver, El Paso County, Larimer County, Mesa County, and Pueblo County. The sites were chosen because they represent a good cross-section of jurisdictions in Colorado that experience the impacts of homeless populations. The Division of Criminal Justice commissioned Eris Enterprises to conduct the study to provide data that may help answer questions being raised by law enforcement, legislators and community members in relation to a reported increase in the homeless population in major Colorado jails and in Colorado in general. The study examined the prevalence of risk factors associated with homelessness, the types and number of crimes committed, home state origin, why non-native inmates moved to Colorado, and what services inmates need to transition out of jail. In particular, the study sought to provide insight on one frequently posed question: is Colorado seeing an increase in homeless people moving to Colorado for legal marijuana and then committing crimes? SUMMARY OF RESULTS The study found that the majority of homeless who ended up in Colorado jails moved here prior to legalization of marijuana, and most moved here to escape a problem or be with family. More than one third of the homeless who moved to Colorado after legalization in 2012 reported legal marijuana as a reason that drew them to Colorado. However, only two individuals selected legal marjiuana as the only factor that drew them to Colorado. The study also found that homeless inmates reported higher rates of mental illness and were charged with significantly fewer violent crimes but significantly more drug and trespassing crimes than non-homeless inmates. Details: Denver: ColoradoDivision of Criminal Justice, 2018. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2018 at:; https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/docs/reports/2018_Jail_Homelessness_Study.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/docs/reports/2018_Jail_Homelessness_Study.pdf Shelf Number: 151128 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessnessHousingJail InmatesJailsLoiteringMentally Ill PersonsPanhandling Vagrants |
Author: The Social Innovation Partnership Title: The Wire (Women's Information and Resettlement for Ex-Offenders) Evaluation Report Summary: Summary of findings - Reconviction rates: The reconviction rate for the eligible 104 engaged WIRE partcipants (out of a total of 342 referred women) was 42%, against 51% for the national average for women offenders and 88% for prolific offenders. Whilst there are issues around how this is evidenced, our additional qualitative analysis broadly supports that the WIRE is a valued service. - Desistance: The average number of offences per participant halved for the 12 months at liberty after the programme as compared to the 12 months before (at 2 offences as compared to 4 previously). Again, there are similar evidencing issues, although we seek to address these through our additional analysis (e.g. interviews). - OASys:Using OGRS3 categories, roughly half of WIRE participants in "high" and "very high" risk of reoffending categories had not reoffended after 12 months (which is half the standard OGRS3 period), which appears to be an encouraging result. However, these results will need to be confirmed after two years post-conviction. - Continuing success: Resourcing issues could affect the ongoing success of the WIRE programme, limiting staff's ability to (i) give dedicated personal support and (ii) perform a sufficient amount of ongoing reporting to improve performance as measured by both Stage 1 and Stage 2 indicators, and also to evidence successes and support fundraising. - Programme Strategy: Evidence suggests that WIRE outcomes are more likely to be achieved at the early stage (Stage 1) of WIRE interventions. - People (resourcing): The project struggled to match staffing levels with demand (principally due to funding constraints), despite this the team were able to meet housing and meet at the gates targets. - Administration: There were a number of issues identified with reporting strategies. The evaluators worked with the WIRE team to identify and implement solutions. - People: The complex nature and motivation of clients to change has the potential to impact the success of the project, clients need to want to engage for success to be achieved. The staff are also a key component of the success of the project, the workers need to possess a unique blend of tenaciousness to achieve outcomes and empathy to understand the women's experiences. - Outcomes: Housing outcomes are a strength of the WIRE and it is from this solid foundation that the workers are able to support the women in desisting from crime. - Process: The individualised nature of the service requires staff have skills and that enable them to dedicate the time needed to support women through this intense period. High demand for the service and funding constraints mean staff numbers are such that they have been focusing on Stage 1 as opposed to stage 2. Recommendations and Next Steps - Evidence practices: A number of reporting and evidence practices have been improved in the course of this evaluation. These improvements should be endorsed and maintained, within the WIRE and beyond, as a way of improving services, ensuring value for money and potentially assisting with future fundraising activities. - Staff and resourcing: Sufficient staff and resources should be allocated to the WIRE, including administrative support, to allow the core team to focus on delivery. To improve Stage 2 outcomes, the programme should be seen as sufficiently distinct (WIRE Plus) to require smaller case loads - Process refinements and stakeholder engagement: Work should be done with prisons to restore an appropriate prison presence, even if just once a week, for WIRE staff. Awareness of the WIRE and its full range of work (i.e. beyond housing) should also be raised amongst other key organisations, along with the evidence of the WIRE's work with clients. Details: London, UK: The Social Innovation Partnership, 2012. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2019 at: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/misc/Support%20for%20vulnerable%20women%20leaving%20prison%20full%20report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/misc/Support%20for%20vulnerable%20women%20leaving%20prison%20full%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 154216 Keywords: DesistanceEx-OffendersFemale OffendersGenderHousingPost ConvictionPrisonerPrisoner-Release ProgramsPrisonsReoffendingResettlementWomen Offenders |
Author: Katovich, Scout Title: More than a Nuisance: The Outsized Consequences of New York's Nuisance ordinances Summary: Local laws across the state of New York make the eviction of tenants a consequence of police responses to their homes. These laws, known as nuisance ordinances, are often intended to promote public safety and hold landlords accountable. In practice, these laws punish tenants who require police assistance in their homes and attach disproportionately grave consequences to minor transgressions. As this report demonstrates, nuisance ordinances harm New York communities. In particular, because these laws are often enforced based on police response to properties, they tend to compound the harms associated with police interactions. Data obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suggest that these laws are predominantly enforced in neighborhoods where more people of color and poor people live. They often threaten harsh punishments, including the loss of one's home, for minor violations that otherwise would result in a relatively modest fine. They also harm domestic violence survivors and individuals in need of emergency medical assistance. Municipalities in New York should repeal or amend nuisance ordinances to avoid these adverse effects. Details: New York: New York Civil Liberties Union, 2018. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 7, 2019 at: https://www.nyclu.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/nyclu_nuisancereport_20180809.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.nyclu.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/nyclu_nuisancereport_20180809.pdf Shelf Number: 154844 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior Disorderly Conduct HousingNuisance Ordinances Tenants |
Author: Women's Resource Centre Title: Promising practice from the frontline: Exploring gendered approaches to supporting women experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage Summary: This scoping research is a collaboration between Homeless Link and the Women's Resource Centre (WRC) to explore gendered support available in England to women who experience homelessness and multiple disadvantage. Summary of key findings -- The factors that services are seeing most frequently Survey data suggests that women experiencing multiple disadvantage are presenting to a broad range of community services including those that are designed to support women with multiple disadvantage and services that are not. Over two thirds of the survey respondents (69%) reported they had seen an increase in the numbers of women with multiple disadvantage presenting to their service over the last two years. When asked to report the types of multiple disadvantage that women present to services with, the findings demonstrate that services are supporting women with a broad range of experiences: - All the survey respondents said that they 'sometimes' of 'often' support women who experience homelessness - 97% of respondents reported that they are either 'sometimes' or 'often' supporting women with experience of mental ill-health - 94% of respondents reported that they 'sometimes' or 'often' support women with problematic substance use - 93% of respondents reported that they 'sometimes' or 'often' support women who experience domestic violence. 65% of the survey respondents said that they support women with all the following either 'sometimes' or 'often': homelessness, domestic violence, sexual violence, involvement in prostitution, problematic drugs and alcohol use, mental ill health and involvement in the criminal justice system. The research also explored the way in which women experience homelessness and their journey to services: - Domestic and sexual violence as well as changes in welfare leading to an inability to cover housing costs were reported to be the main triggers for women's homelessness - To avoid violence and exploitation when sleeping rough women either stay with family and friends or resorting to using public transport or A&E waiting rooms - Women who experience domestic violence and present to the local authority were reported to often receive an inadequate response and are not deemed priority need. - When women do sleep rough, they may stay on the move all night to avoid the risks of more violence and exploitation - Traditional support provided through the homelessness pathway tends to be mixed provision which risks exposing women to further violence and exploitation. Staff rarely have the skills and experience to understand the types of support women need as a result of the continuum of violence they have experienced. Support available for homeless women who experience multiple disadvantage Of the 90 respondents to the survey, the majority (62%) were from homelessness and housing services, but a wide range of other community support projects were represented including violence and abuse support services, criminal justice support services, substance use, drop-in advice services and specialist women's services. Almost half of the services that responded to the survey (48%) reported that they were designed to work specifically with women facing multiple disadvantage, 46% reporting that they are not and 6% answered 'not sure'. 19 respondents explicitly stated that their service was a dedicated woman only organisation. Responses varied significantly in the extent to which services implement policies, practices and training to inform their support for this group of women, suggesting that services need to be strengthened to incorporate gender informed policies, practices and training. Effective support for homeless women facing multiple disadvantage Building on previous research this project identified common factors that are reported to enhance the effectiveness of support for women experiencing multiple disadvantage: - Organisational commitment to work from an understanding of women's lived experience of inequality - Service design which incorporates gendered approaches - incorporating the understanding of the impacts of VAWG and how to respond appropriately - Organisational structures: policies, staff recruitment training and support - implementing policies which embed a gendered approach, recruiting knowledgeable, empathic, compassionate and resilient staff that are trained on violence against women. Examples of promising practice where services have incorporated the elements illustrated above have been documented in a series of good practice case studies in the full report. Barriers and enablers to providing effective support The primary barriers facing services include: - A lack of strategic, gender informed funding approaches from commissioners. - Structural barriers relating to an overall lack of availability of safe, appropriate housing options. - A lack of resources resulting from widespread social care sector spending cuts, particularly for women with no recourse to public funds. - A lack of systematic evidence relating to women's homelessness which delays their access to support. As such, those providing gender informed and gender specific approaches are facing an uphill struggle in making the case for and levering in resources to do their work. Suggestions were noted that would enhance support for women: - Increasing joint commissioning approaches to encourage services to work together rather than in silos - The Housing First model adapted to work specifically with women - Specific expertise, time and resource available to advocate for migrant women to access their rights, entitlements and legal advice - Changes to how women's homelessness is categorised including the need for changes to the verification process which can miss out women who do not sleep rough and those who hide themselves whilst rough sleeping Assertive outreach models to more effectively locate, identify and engage women. Details: London: Homeless Link and Women's Resource Centre, 2019. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2019 at: https://www.homeless.org.uk/sites/default/files/site-attachments/Women%27s%20research_March%2019_0.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.homeless.org.uk/sites/default/files/site-attachments/Women%27s%20research_March%2019_0.pdf Shelf Number: 154981 Keywords: Disadvantaged PersonsDomestic ViolenceGender-Based IssuesHomeless PersonsHomeless WomenHousingRough SleepingVictim ServicesViolence Against Women |
Author: Tuttle, Samantha Title: Win-Win: Equipping Housing Providers to Open Doors to Housing for People with Criminal Records Summary: In Illinois, nearly 5 million adults, 50% of the population, are estimated to have an arrest of conviction record. Housing is foundational for employment success, family stability, and overall well-being. For a housing provider, translating the desire to improve housing opportunity for people with records into concrete policies and practices can be a challenge. For providers who are putting out fires each and every day at their properties, slowing down to develop new approaches may be difficult. The purpose of Win-Win is to recommend a number of policies and practices - ranging from small changes to the more robust - that housing providers can adopt and adapt, in whole or in part, to increase housing opportunities for people with criminal records. In order to create concrete recommendations, Heartland Alliance consulted with a number of affordable housing developers and Cabrini Green Legal Aid's Leadership Council, which brings together people with criminal records to advance social change. We also worked with experts in the field and researchers to round out our recommendations. While we hope there are valuable takeaways for any housing provider in this guide, the recommendations are targeted at affordable housing providers whose units typically do not have services attached. These providers play a key role for people with records, who are frequently leaving reentry programs and need to find quality housing they can afford. Details: Toronto, Canada: Heartland Alliance, 2019. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: August 11, 2019 at: https://www.issuelab.org/resources/35116/35116.pdf Year: 2019 Country: International URL: https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/win-win-equipping-housing-providers-open-doors-housing-people-criminal-records Shelf Number: 156951 Keywords: Conviction Record Criminal Records Discrimination Housing |