Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison leavers have been accommodated under Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 in (a) total and (b) each of the last three years.

Prison leavers without settled accommodation are almost 50 per cent more likely to re-offend compared to those with settled accommodation, and a settled place to live is key to reducing re-offending, cutting crime and protecting the public.

In July 2021, HM Prison and Probation Service launched a new transitional accommodation service, Community Accommodation Service- Tier 3 (CAS3), providing up to 12 weeks accommodation on release with support to move to settled accommodation, for those leaving prison at risk of homelessness, in five probation regions (Yorkshire and the Humber; Northwest; Greater Manchester; Kent, Surrey and Sussex). Delivery of CAS3 in Wales commenced in June 2022. The service is now operating in all probation regions and new places continue to be added as the service develops.

From the commencement of the service on 1 July 2021 up to 31 March 2023, a total of 5,796 people were placed in CAS3 accommodation. The way in which the data are collected does not allow provision of an annual breakdown.