Prisoners on early release ‘reoffending to escape homelessness’
“If it gets much colder, I am thinking of doing something, just to go back to prison,” says Leon Lear, 43, as he sits next to the remnants of his failed fire on the edge of a playground in Bridgend, South Wales.
The wood was too damp to burn; the only ash is from cardboard from a nearby recycling bin. A damp sleeping bag hangs over the railings.
Leon Lear says he has considered committing more offences in order to get sent back to jail
Leon is on early release from jail, but he’d rather have stayed in. He says instead of celebrating he began to get anxious as his release date approached, knowing he would be homeless and that the outside meant literally that – outside.
He says: “Because I was released five weeks early, the probation, and housing didn’t have an inkling I was going to be released. They told me that I’d be on a waiting list for housing. So, since then, I’ve been living on the streets.”
Leon was jailed for affray in June this year, released five weeks early but homeless in July. He was recalled on breach of licence for shoplifting in September and released again two weeks ago. How much longer before he is back inside?
He is one of 13% of prisoners in England and Wales who are released without a home and the chief inspector of probation says homelessness is the biggest driving factor for people reoffending or breaching their licence.
Recalled prisoners are the fastest-growing element of our overcrowded prison population, doubling in a decade.
Leon is wearing two t-shirts that he stole that morning. He says he’s not proud of it but it’s what he must do to survive. “I don’t even have underwear,” he says, “I know it’s embarrassing, but this is how I got to live.”
His only possessions are a toothbrush and toothpaste in the pocket of a tracksuit given to him by a local charity.
For a while, he bunked down with some heroin addicts, but that got him back on the drug after three years clean. So now he is on the streets and makes a daily trip to the drug clinic for methadone, to keep him off the habit.
“I’ve done a winter [homeless] before and it’s horrific,” he says. “Last night I was thinking of smashing a window or acting drunk, just to go to the police station to get a hot meal in on the blanket to stay somewhere safe. I’d rather be in jail than live like this much longer.”
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That’s despite the fact he describes prison as being locked up 23 hours a day with mice in his cell.
Leon visits an outreach centre in town called BARC. As well as hot drinks and meals, they provide clothes, tents and help with doctors’ appointments and courses.
Demand for the services here has doubled in a year – a lot due to the early release scheme.
Founder Becky Lloyd, 45, says: “A lot of these guys are re-offending deliberately now to go back to prison because they’ve got nowhere to go. At least if we can try and support them, we can try and avoid that. But the winter is coming, they don’t want to be in a tent. They’d rather be in jail.”
Becky Lloyd from the BARC community centre
We meet another man just out on early release who has been living in a tent for the last three weeks.
He told us: “It’s harder out here than being in there [prison]. Because you’ve got three meals a day in there and a roof over your head. Out here, you’ve got to come to places like this to get fed, you know, beg, borrow or steal.”
The centre relies on donations and much of the work is self-funded by Becky and co-founder Teresa Wilkie. While it seems a somewhat hopeless endeavour, success is personified by one of the workers.
Ffion Evans, 25, was on crack for three years and heroin for seven. When released from jail in December last year, she became homeless and turned back to her addiction. But when she became pregnant, she managed to turn her life around.
Ffion Evans, a released prisoner who now works as a volunteer support worker
Wearing a T-shirt with the words “actually, I can”, she says: “I started coming here, they supported me and showed me I’m worth it and I can do it.
“Now I’ve been clean for months, I’m a support volunteer worker so I’ve got a career ahead of me. It’s brilliant. This is the best version of me I have ever been. I couldn’t have done it without these lot.”
The chief inspector of probation, Martin Jones, told Sky News: “What we know is that if people do not have a safe accommodation at the point of release, they are more likely to be recalled to custody as a result of breaching their licence conditions or indeed to re-offend. I think it [providing a home] is probably the most critically important part of a prisoner’s release.”
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Tom Hollick from The Wallich, which offers council-funded support for the homeless in Bridgend, said: “There’s over 11,000 people, in the latest data across the whole of Wales, who are in temporary accommodation with more people presenting all the time.
“So, it’s kind of that bottleneck in the system, and people coming out of prison are adding to the existing crisis.”
A Ministry of Justice Spokesperson said: “The new government inherited a justice system in crisis, with levels of homelessness which were far too high and an early release scheme that did not give probation staff enough time to get prisoners ready for their release.
“Our new system allows staff to better prepare offenders for life after prison and we are working with partners, including local councils and charities, to avoid them being released onto the street.”
The families of the Nottingham victims have said the attacker “got away with murder” after an independent review found failings involved in his prior NHS care.
Valdo Calocane was allowed to avoid taking long-lasting antipsychotic medication because he did not like needles, the review found.
He also punched a police officer in the face and held his flatmates “hostage”.
Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after killing 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, before attempting to kill three other people in June 2023.
Prosecutors accepted a plea of manslaughter after experts agreed his schizophrenia meant he wasn’t fully responsible for his actions.
Solicitor Neil Hudgell, acting on behalf of the families of the victims, said they will meet the government next week to discuss a statutory public inquiry.
Emma Webber said the families have had to fight for lessons to be learned
‘Make this trauma stop’
Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby, said at a press conference held by the families, that evidence of failures in dealing with her son’s killer would have been “brushed under the carpet” had it not been for campaigning by the victims’ families and that Calcone “got away with murder”.
“None of us should be here today. Anything and everything that could go wrong did,” she said.
“Barnaby, Ian and Grace would be here today if those concerned across these agencies had just done their job properly.”
Mrs Webber said the indefinite hospital order handed to Calocane represented an “enormous miscarriage of justice”.
“He knew what he was doing,” she said. “He serves no punishment for his crimes.”
She added it was “unfathomable” that the families have had to fight for lessons to be learned: “To the prime minister, and the rest of the government, make this trauma stop and make our fight stop.
“You have confirmed there will be a public inquiry, but agree the terms that we’ve been pleading for, make it statutory so all of the agencies, organisations, institutions and, vitally, individuals must… and will be compelled to attend, give evidence and tell the truth.”
Mrs Webber wants a meeting with Keir Starmer: “I do think it’s time now that we get the opportunity to meet with the prime minister,” she said.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar said the families are calling for a statutory public inquiry. Pic: PA
‘This is a watershed moment’
The father of Grace, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said he will be asking the health secretary to order a mental health trust to hold individual doctors responsible for the failures in his daughter’s killer’s care.
Dr Kumar added: “He (Calocane) was sectioned four times. Four times. The psychiatrist failed to change his treatment four times.
“They failed to put provisions in the community to make sure he took his medication, ultimately irresponsibly discharging him into the community to do harm.
“For the loss of our beautiful, brave daughter, Grace, there must be change. This is a watershed moment.
“We demand a public inquiry with statutory powers, powers to compel witnesses to appear to account for their failures.
“We demand accountability and we will not stop until we get justice for the Nottingham attacks.
“A system is made out of individuals – if individuals are not held to account, systems will not change in our country.”
Pic: PA
‘Accountability is essential’
Grace’s mother, Dr Sinead O’Malley-Kumar, said there had been poor decision-making and “laziness” among health staff who treated her daughter’s killer.
“If any of them knew that Valdo Calocane was going to go out and share student accommodation with their children, I suspect their choices may have changed,” she said.
“Accountability on an individual level is essential.”
James Coates said Nottingham is not a safe area. Pic: PA
‘The city is a failure’
James Coates, the son of Ian Coates, claimed the people of Nottingham are not safe and he had lost his faith in the local mental health services.
He said: “I want to be proud but I can’t. The city, as a whole, is a failure.”
Talking about the city’s NHS services, he said: “If they take shortcuts, it puts people’s lives at risk.”
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Kay Burley has announced she is retiring from Sky News after 36 years at the broadcaster.
Closing her final show on the Sky News Breakfast programme, Burley said: “From a standing start to one of the most recognised and valued brands in global news, it’s been an honour and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business.
“News by its very nature is often devastating and together we’ve covered so many life-changing events – from the tragic death of Diana, the shocking terror attack of 9/11; the Asian Tsunami; the Concorde air disaster.
“But we’ve also enjoyed some wonderful high notes too, haven’t we – the thrill of London winning the chance to host the 2012 Olympics; a plethora of royal weddings; jubilees and who can forget days and days and DAYS waiting for royal babies to arrive at the Lindo Wing.
“But after over a million minutes of live TV news – more than anyone else in the world – its time for me to indulge in some of my other passions – including my love for travel.
“So, after covering 12 separate general elections – including Sir Keir Starmer’s victory last year – I am retiring from Sky News – let politicians of every party just rejoice at that news!
“Thank you for waking up and tuning in every morning. I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your support over the last three and a half decades: You’re awesome.
“I will post more on my social media and hope to see you around. Please keep in touch.”
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Most memorable moments of Kay Burley’s Sky News career
The Breakfast team applauded at the end of the announcement
Burley was part of the team which launched Sky News in 1989.
She has covered major stories including the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Her live coverage of 9/11 won Sky News a BAFTA award.
David Rhodes, executive chairman of Sky News, said: “With millions of minutes presenting live rolling news, Kay’s legacy in television journalism is unmatched, as is her commitment to Sky’s legacy. And I’m sure some MPs in Westminster will sleep easy knowing they won’t face her indomitable questioning in the mornings.”
He added: “We thank Kay for her huge contribution to Sky, to the art of the interview and to British journalism. And we wish her the best of luck.”
Former Sky News editor-at-large Adam Boulton posted on X: “The one and only Kay Burley announces she is leaving Sky News.
“Kay is unique, there are no other women of her background who have had such an impact on British News and current affairs. We have been friends and colleagues for forty years. Onward Kay I know it’s going to be exciting!”
Sky News’s political editor Beth Rigby said: “No one does live telly like Kay Burley. Our anchor woman for decades, Kay’s has been THE face of Sky News for as long as I can remember.”
Rigby added: “She’s been a trailblazer & inspiration to a whole generation of women. You’re one of a kind.”
Former Sky News journalist Simon McCoy shared an image on X from when he worked with Burley and wrote: “That’s how long she worked at Sky News!
“Wishing Kay Burley all the best for whatever comes next.”
Sky News business presenter Ian King posted on X: “It is impossible to overstate the achievements of my brilliant and supportive friend @KayBurley.
“No one in the world has clocked up as many hours of live television. No doubt politicians will be glad she is leaving – her loyal viewers will not.”
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid called Burley “a fierce advocate for viewers, a powerful interviewer and a supporter of women in television”.
Reid wrote on X: “That she gets her own #BreakingNews announcement is testament to @KayBurley impact on news journalism. A fierce advocate for viewers, a powerful interviewer and a supporter of women in television.
“She is going to be hugely missed from our screens. Good luck Kay.”
Former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister said she was “devastated” by the “absolute icon” retiring from Sky News.
McAlister wrote on X: “Genuinely devastated to hear about @KayBurley leaving @SkyNews.
“An absolute icon. Smart as hell, sharp as they come, bloody amazing company.
“Always a total inspiration to me as a single parent and woman from a different background.
“A sad day.”
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a teenager was stabbed to death at a school in Sheffield.
Harvey Willgoose, 15, died after being attacked at All Saints Catholic High School on Monday.
Police said he suffered “serious injuries” and despite the efforts of medics, died a short time after emergency services arrived.
Chris Hartley, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “We have authorised South Yorkshire Police to charge a 15-year-old with murder in relation to the death of Harvey Willgoose, 15, at All Saints Catholic High School on 3 February.
“He has also been charged with possession of a bladed article and one count of affray.”
The boy will appear at Sheffield Youth Court later on Wednesday.
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In a statement released by police, Harvey’s family said their lives would “never be the same again” and they were “utterly heartbroken”.
“We have lost a beloved son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and most importantly, a best friend to all,” they said.
“Harvey will be forever known for being a caring, loving and funny young man. At this difficult time we ask you to please respect our privacy as we grieve as a family.”
Pic: Sophie Willgoose
Paying tribute, Harvey’s sister Sophie Willgoose said: “My heart is broken into a million pieces.”
She posted on Facebook: “I love you so much Harvey… Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight cos I wish I could.”
All Saints Catholic High School described Harvey as an “immensely popular” student who had “a smile that would light up the room”.
“We are all struggling to process what has happened and our thoughts and prayers are with Harvey’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time,” it said.
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