The Government should tighten guidance to local councils around their responsibilities to victims of miscarriages of justice, says a new report from the housing charity Commonweal.
The report, part of a pilot housing project undertaken by Commonweal aimed at providing accommodation to victims of miscarriages of justice, details a lack of support available after being released from prison.
Many of those who are victims of a miscarriage of justice face a number of problems, such as posttraumatic stress and social withdrawal, and yet, the report finds, they are offered less official support than offenders can get through the probation service.
The lack of statutory support available to victims can mean many who find themselves in need of social housing do not receive priority in local authority housing allocations.
The report recommends measures to increase awareness across housing support services and calls on housing minister Brandon Lewis to follow the example set out by the Department Of Work and Pensions, which has recognised in its Work Capability Assessment that those who have experienced a miscarriage of justice should be entitled to special consideration due to the impact of their wrongful imprisonment.
Commonweal is pledging £20,000 in funding to establish a fund to aid the successful re-housing and re-integration of victims and calling for further support from interested parties.
Chief executive of Commonweal Housing, Ashley Horsey said: 'Having been failed by the system in the most terrible way, victims of miscarriages of justice too often face a second injustice when attempting to access housing.
'Our report makes clear that through very little effort on behalf of the government they could act to encourage local councils to recognise miscarriage of justice victims as vulnerable and in priority need should they approach them as homeless.'
