Estate agents asked to look for homes for ex-prisoners (From Western Telegraph)

Estate agents asked to look for homes for ex-prisoners

10:30am Wednesday 4th July 2007 in

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Estate agents in Pembroke Dock have received letters from a company helping to rehouse ex-prisoners, asking for their assistance in finding suitable properties, the Western Telegraph has learned.

The letter, from a company called ClearSprings Management, is asking agents to put forward any three, four and five bedroom homes currently available in the area.

The houses are required for use as supported accommodation by the company, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

The company provides safe accommodation in community settings for those leaving prison, on bail, or on the Home Detention Curfew scheme.

The accommodation will allow the appropriate use of bail for low risk, adult defendants in custody who cannot provide a current address or could not be bailed without support.

ClearSprings state: "Through a robust programme of individually designed support with effective housing management, we aim to give people leaving prison the best possible chance of sustained independence."

Members of the community may be worried about the idea of ex-convicts living nearby but ClearSprings assures them the process of rehousing is transparent and the public will be consulted wherever possible.

The firm says it has provided accommodation and support to more than 45,000 vulnerable people over the past seven years but it is still unknown how many will be rehoused to Pembrokeshire.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman wanted to reassure the public that the rehousing scheme had nothing to do with prisoners currently being released 18 days before the end of their sentences.

No prisoners with a history of sexual offending would be suitable for the scheme, nor those with violent and racial convictions, the ministry added.