About half a dozen people are gathered on the pavement next to the HMP sign. Some are smoking, others chatting animatedly on phones, one young woman stands silently reading a book. It could be a long wait for the men they are meeting.
After about two hours, they emerge. There are moving scenes - some men start to choke up when they see their families.
It is those with no-one to meet them we are there for. Dwayne and Allan – our two-man team who support homeless prison leavers in north London – are very, very busy people. Today they are waiting to meet two men from this cohort who have nowhere to go.
Both have served short sentences, have no support and limited available options. As single homeless men they are not entitled to state housing but will be reliant on the private rented sector. Dwayne explains that as most of his clients are on benefits landlords do not generally welcome them. When they do, the best they can usually hope for is a room in a house share - or self-contained bedsit if they are very lucky.
Through the gate communication can be patchy. There is a problem as the prison reception have not told us that one of the men due to be met by us has already walked out. Far from being secretly pleased at having a lighter workload for the day, Dwayne and Allan are gutted. The client concerned has a drug problem and needs support to keep him on the straight and narrow.
Rising to a difficult challenge embodies the spirit of this ‘all hands to the pump’ team who help their clients encounter doors that open to a future instead of clank shut with the turn of a cell key. They have a busy caseload of clients all waiting to be housed and spend the journey to the office on the phone to landlords sourcing available rooms and sorting out various problems.
In between phone calls, we chat about what would make life easier for them to help their clients. Accommodation is the biggest and most obvious one. Housing cuts and an inflated rental market mean prison leavers are at the back of the queue so managing expectations becomes crucial. Explaining to a man in his 40s who might have once lived in a family home that he’ll now be sharing a kitchen with strangers means Dwayne and Allan need to be upfront but still keep clients motivated to stay engaged. Dampen someone’s hopes too much and they’ll quickly become disillusioned.
We always work best with our clients if we can meet them face to face prior to their release. This means that Dwayne and his colleagues can get to know their clients, explain the service and generally suss people out. As long reformed ex-offenders themselves, they know exactly what signals to pick up on which might make someone vulnerable to re-offending and put plans in place to mitigate this. In the case of today, it would have been the first time they had met the clients.
Back at the office Dwayne immediately gets a list of privately rented rooms available through the landlords with whom we work. Like a lettings agent on a sales deadline, he gets on the phone arranging viewings for clients desperately waiting for accommodation. Results soon start to emerge as appointments for clients to view properties are made for later in the day.
It brightens further when Allan manages to establish contact with the mother of the client who was missed earlier and a place in a B&B is secured for him through us. This will give us the opportunity to make contact, engage him and prevent a relapse.
The team battle against what seem like impossible odds over which they have limited control. Aside from difficulties around lack of housing, they are working with some of the most complex, chaotic individuals in society. But Dwayne and his colleagues don’t just give their clients a second chance. Sometimes it needs a third and fourth before someone finally changes their mindset. Such patient, persistent support is crucial and central to the work.
And this is where much of the strength lies. Dwayne, Allan and colleagues have the passion and drive to not give up on people. No-one is beyond help. Our volunteer Andy spoke – briefly but eloquently – at the opening of our Hackney office; “I’ve learned to open the door rather than kick it in.” Having someone help open it for you rather than slam it in your face prevents people returning behind bars. However, as the housing situation worsens and caseloads increase, these doors will become heavier for our teams to hold open.
