People with Disability Transitioning from Prison and Their Pathways into Homelessness

Evidence is increasing that a substantial proportion of people who are incarcerated in youth and adult correctional facilities have a disability. The high rate of people with disability in the criminal justice system is likely to be the effect of complex interactions between systemic, structural and individual factors. These include a lack of awareness and inappropriate management of challenging behaviours among service providers, and a compromised ability to understand and navigate the judicial system or access needed services. Detention in the criminal justice system is associated with a range of poor outcomes, one of which is homelessness. Homelessness includes experiences of sleeping rough on the street, staying in temporary or insecure accommodation, or in housing that is inadequate for privacy and social relations. Homelessness, and related experiences of housing instability, can affect a person's wellbeing and become part of a cycle of health problems, justice system involvement and institutional care. Given the high proportion of people with disability involved with the justice system and the vulnerability for homelessness created by being incarcerated, the objectives for this project were to review the evidence on: the factors that contribute to homelessness post-release for people with disability the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent or reduce homelessness post-release for people with disability 3. the policies, strategies, initiatives, and programs of corrective services in each Australian jurisdiction that address the housing needs of people with disability leaving their facilities. Objectives 1 and 2 were addressed via a rapid evidence review conducted between October 2021 and February 2022. Objective 3 was addressed through an audit of policy documents in each Australian state and territory.