Inside the Big Issue: Prison Break

“Have you got a home to go to then?” the LBC reporter asked a prison leaver as they walked free as part of the early release scheme on 1 October. “No, they’ve actually released me with nowhere to stay,” the leaver responded.

“So, luckily, I’ve got a few friends that I can stay at, but the people who don’t, they’ll be back doing whatever they’re doing.” An estimated 1,000 prisoners a month are released into homelessness, according to Ministry of Justice (MOJ) figures. And that’s not taking into account early releases to ease overcrowding.

The crisis facing our prisons is going nowhere. Congestion and deteriorating conditions point to a system in drastic need of improvement.

This week we explore creative ways to cut reoffending and improve rehabilitation and prevent the vicious cycle between prison and homelessness.

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What else is in this week’s Big Issue?

Chase & Status Letter to OUR younger selves

All those evenings sitting in a dark room obsessing over drum sounds paid off – nearly three decades on, the DJ duo are UK dance music royalty.

“We were around 16 when we met. I was living in Hammersmith with my mum. I was a bedroom DJ, obsessed about music,” says Status. “This is when I started to really collect vinyl and my poor mum had to put up with me blasting out music 24/7.”

Does football hold the answer to the UK’s faltering prison education?

Here’s a puzzle: Half of prisoners are functionally illiterate. Reoffending costs society more each year than abolishing the triple lock will save. What if the two are connected? And what if football can help?

‘If my dog can’t go, I’m not going’: this Big Issue vendor wouldn’t choose between his home and his best friend

The day Robin Price spoke in parliament about no-fault evictions, he came home to find one on his own door. When the council couldn’t promise a place for his Jack Russell, Tinks, he didn’t go to them at all. Now he’s backing Big Issue’s campaign to end the choice between a pet and a home.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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