What happens when people leave prison and attempt to rebuild their lives in the community?
The challenges faced by prison leavers are often discussed in policy papers, strategy documents and commissioning meetings. However, meaningful solutions require us to listen carefully to the people with direct experience of these challenges.
At the recent Greater Manchester Recovery Network (GMRN) event in Rochdale, more than 60 participants took part in a community research activity designed to capture those perspectives. The exercise marked the launch of GMRN Spotlight, a new community participation initiative intended to shine a light on the issues that matter most to people affected by substance use, recovery, criminal justice involvement and social disadvantage.
The aim is simple but important – to create a platform where communities can speak for themselves, sharing the realities of their lived experience. By gathering and amplifying these perspectives, GMRN Spotlight aims to generate knowledge that can help shape solutions grounded in lived experience rather than assumptions.
For this first Spotlight activity, participants explored a critical question – what challenges do prison leavers face when reintegrating into the community?
The question remains highly relevant. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data continues to show high rates of reoffending among people released from custody, particularly those serving shorter sentences. At the same time, evidence consistently points to the importance of stable accommodation, employment and supportive relationships in helping people rebuild their lives and avoid returning to the criminal justice system.
The participants represented a broad mix of experience. The majority had lived experience of substance use disorder, many had personal experience of the criminal justice system, and the room included people currently accessing services as well as service providers and members of recovery communities and LEROs.
Participants split into five groups to explore five key themes:
>> Homelessness on release
>> Access to support
>> Criminal justice experience and stigma
>> Social exclusion
>> Barriers to employment
What emerged was a powerful and remarkably consistent picture.
Across all five groups, one issue surfaced repeatedly – that the transition from prison to community is often characterised by a lack of continuity.
Participants described release as a cliff edge rather than a bridge. These concerns reflect wider national evidence. Government data has repeatedly identified accommodation as one of the key factors associated with successful resettlement, while prison leavers who experience homelessness face significantly greater challenges in sustaining recovery, securing employment and avoiding reoffending.
Housing was identified as one of the most pressing concerns. People spoke about prison leavers being released into homelessness, unsuitable accommodation or environments that place recovery at risk.
Safe housing, sober living environments and clearer housing pathways were repeatedly identified as essential. Participants described how unstable housing can quickly undermine progress made while in custody, increasing vulnerability to relapse, reoffending and social isolation.
A particularly strong theme was the perception that some people are being ‘set up to fail’. Participants highlighted concerns about prison leavers with substance use problems being placed in ‘approved premises’ where drug use may be common.
While approved premises provide accommodation and supervision, some participants felt that they can expose vulnerable individuals to triggers and risks that undermine recovery efforts at a critical stage of reintegration. The challenge, it seems, is not simply about having a roof over someone’s head. It’s about creating the conditions in which recovery, stability and reintegration can become possible.
Participants recognised examples of good practice. Community visits into prisons, rehabilitation programmes, recovery organisations engaging with people before release, and through-the-gate services were all highlighted as positive interventions.
Some participants felt that drug and alcohol services in particular provide good continuity of care between prison and community settings, with prison-based rehabilitation services frequently linked to community recovery and treatment providers before release.
However, this continuity was not always matched in other areas. Mental health support, psychiatric care and physical healthcare were often described as fragmented, inconsistent or difficult to access following release. Several contributors spoke about medication, treatment plans and referrals not always transferring smoothly between prison and community services, creating additional risks during an already challenging period.
Several groups highlighted how poor communication between agencies can contribute to a lack of awareness about available services. Information that could support successful reintegration is not always shared effectively, while opportunities for support can be missed when services operate in isolation.
There was also concern about geographical barriers – prison leavers may be released into areas where they have limited knowledge of local services, or where existing support networks are absent.
As discussions across the groups repeatedly suggested, support should not begin on the day of release and then disappear shortly afterwards. Instead, participants argued for a coordinated approach that starts in custody and continues seamlessly into the community.
This also included recognising the important role prison staff can play in supporting rehabilitation, with participants highlighting the need for greater awareness and training around addiction, recovery and trauma-informed practice.
The discussions on social exclusion revealed how reintegration involves far more than practical support.
Participants described difficulties rebuilding relationships, developing trust and feeling part of a community. Many prison leavers face disrupted family connections, limited social networks and a sense of being disconnected from society.
Some highlighted the impact of digital exclusion, noting that technology can change dramatically during periods of imprisonment, with tasks that many people take for granted – applying for jobs, accessing services or managing finances online – becoming significant barriers. Trust also emerged as a particularly important theme.
Where systems appear fragmented or inconsistent, trust can quickly erode. Recovery communities, peer support networks, mentoring schemes and community groups were identified as powerful mechanisms for reducing isolation and promoting belonging.
The employment group highlighted a range of practical barriers that can stand between prison leavers and employment.
Criminal records remain a significant obstacle, but participants identified many other challenges, including homelessness, lack of identification documents, difficulties opening bank accounts, limited work experience, unsuitable qualifications and lack of appropriate clothing for interviews. Several participants noted that qualifications obtained in prison don’t always translate into opportunities in the wider labour market.
At the same time, the group identified numerous examples of what works. Volunteering, work placements, prison-based employment programmes and organisations willing to employ people with convictions were all viewed positively.
Importantly, employment was discussed not simply as a source of income but as a route to identity, purpose, belonging and recovery. The emphasis placed on employment mirrors findings from MoJ and the prison service which have consistently identified work as one of the strongest protective factors against reoffending.
For many prison leavers, employment represents more than financial stability; it provides routine, social connection and a renewed sense of purpose.
Although each group explored a different topic, the common message was that the challenges facing prison leavers are interconnected.
Housing affects employment. Employment affects confidence. Confidence affects recovery. Recovery affects social inclusion. Social inclusion affects wellbeing. No single organisation can address these issues in isolation.
Participants repeatedly called for better communication between services, stronger partnerships between statutory and community organisations, greater involvement of lived experience voices and more joined-up pathways from custody to community.
Many also highlighted the unique value of peer support and LEROs. People who have successfully navigated the path themselves can offer hope, credibility and practical guidance that complements professional support.
These themes are not new. Yet hearing them directly from people with lived experience gives them a different weight and urgency. These aren’t abstract policy concerns – they’re real-world challenges affecting people trying to build meaningful lives after prison.
If we’re serious about reducing reoffending, supporting recovery and building healthier communities, then the perspectives of those most affected must be at the heart of the conversation. GMRN Spotlight aims to provide a space where experiences can be shared, heard and, perhaps most importantly, translated into action.
The message was unmistakable: People leaving prison need more than a release date. They need connection, opportunity, understanding and support. Most of all, they need systems that work together as hard as they do to build a better future.
Dr Lisa Ogilvie is a psychologist for Acorn Recovery Projects and visiting research fellow at the University of Greater Manchester.
Stephanie Ash is a CQC-registered manager and therapist at Acorn Recovery Projects who has experience working with people in prison.
Bernard Shaw founded Project Free, a LERO that supports adults involved in substance-related offending in Greater Manchester.