Today the Royal Commission has published a commissioned research report titled People with disability transitioning from prison and their pathway into homelessness, written by researchers from Western Sydney University’s Translational Health Research Institute. The project set out to understand more about what contributes to homelessness for people with disability exiting prison and how to offer more effective interventions, supports and services to prevent this.
The report recognises that challenges are amplified for people with disability leaving corrective services settings due to additional stigma, communication difficulties and a lack of awareness concerning behavioural issues.
Six key findings are identified, including:
There is no proactive case management to assist people to access services post-release. An audit found little evidence of implementation of the Corrective Services Administrators Council (CSAC) guidelines.
There is a significant lack of evidence from research, formal policies and data about homelessness specifically affecting people with disability leaving prison.
The researchers recommend several areas for reform, including:
Nationally consistent policies and guidelines should be developed to support people with disability leaving correctional facilities.
Consistent identification of people with disability is needed within corrective services, including assistance for young people to help report their support needs so that necessary community services can be made available prior to exiting detention.
Investment in social housing that meets universal design principles should be significantly increased across all jurisdictions.
This commissioned research report builds on previous work of the Royal Commission, including Public hearing 26, which examined homelessness for people with disability including experiences in boarding houses, hostels and other arrangements.
