Hostel Benefits for Lifers
| Author | Deryck Hillas |
| Published date | 01 March 1997 |
| Date | 01 March 1997 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059704400118 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
64
Hostel
Benefits
for
Lifers
I
wonder
how
Susan
Barter
reached
the
conclusion
that
’ordinary
probation
hostels’
are
’ill
equipped’
for
the
needs
of
lifers
’where
failure
rates
are
likely
to
be
high’
(’Improving
Pre-release
Work
with
Lifers:
Lessons
from
PRES’
Probation
Journal
December
1996).
The
network
of
approved
probation
and
bail
hostels
across
England
and
Wales
are,
contrary
to
what
Susan
Barter
believes,
very
well
equipped
to
accommodate
lifers
on
release
from
prison
for
a
year
or
more
and,
in
my
experience,
failure
rates
are
low.
Staff
working
in
approved
hostels
are
gaining
increasing
experience
working
with
this
group
of
resident
and
liaise
closely
with
all
staff
in
prisons
(including
seconded
probation
staff)
and
with
field
probation
officers.
We
have
developed
a
range
of
activities
and
have
made
links
with
resources
in
the
community
in
order
to
ease
the
transition
from
custody
to
the
outside
world
and
to
maximise
the
protection
to
the
public.
Local
providers
of
permanent
accommodation
(usually
the
local
authority
Housing
Department
or
Housing
Associations)
are
more
willing
to
offer
tenancies
to
lifers
following
a
lengthy
period
of
residence
in
an
approved
hostel,
a
full
exchange
of
necessary
information
and
the
implementation
of
the
Probation
Area’s
Public
Protection
Policy.
I
would
share
Susan
Barter’s
concerns
about
the
demise
of
the
PRES
scheme
since
many
lifers
came
to
approved
hostels
having
spent
several
months
at
PRES
hostels
first.
However,
I
think
she
minimises
the
benefits
of
approved
hostels
for
lifers.
Unlike
PRES
hostels,
we
have
two
staff
on
duty
twenty
four
hours
a
day
able
to
help
residents
re-
establish
themselves
in
the
community
and
available,
if
there
is
a
need,
for
counselling
at
a
time
when
probation
offices
and
other
agencies
are
closed.
Susan
Barter
rightly
highlights
the
lack
of
PRES
provision
for
women.
Approved
hostels
that
are
designated
’women
only’
or
’mixed’
are
generally
situated
near
to
the
centres
of
large
towns
and
cities
and
welcome
applications
for
female
lifers
who
wish
eventually
to
return
to
their
home
area
or
start
a
new
life
in
a
different
part
of
the
country.
Deryck
Hillas
SPO/Manager,
Albion
Street
Hostel,
Dewsbury
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