The social disadvantages faced by ex-prisoners

People leaving custody are vulnerable to homelessness for a range of reasons.
Research conducted both overseas and in Australia into the social positioning of
ex-prisoners finds them, on average, highly disadvantaged relative to non-prisoners. Many prisoners enter prison from a position of significant social disadvantage and return to this position on release. Prisoners and ex-prisoners have been found to have levels of social disadvantage well beyond that of the general community on a broad range of factors such as employment, education, family and social relationships and health.The following range of social disadvantages has been found to be particularly associated with the prison population.

Mental health
pThe prevalence of mental illness in the NSW correctional system is substantial
and consistent with international findings.
pAlmost half of reception (46%) and over one-third (38%) of sentenced inmates
had suffered a mental disorder (psychosis, affective disorder, or anxiety disorder)
in the previous twelve months.
pFemale prisoners have a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorder than male
prisoners.
pThe high rate of mental disorder among inmates cannot be attributed to
substance use disorder alone.
pAlmost one in ten inmates reported experiencing symptoms of psychosis in the
twelve months prior to interview.
pThe twelve-month prevalence of psychosis in NSW inmates was thirty times
higher than in the Australian community.
p14% of male receptions and 21% of female receptions had a one-month
diagnosis of depression.
pThe most common group of mental disorders were anxiety disorders with over
one-third of those screened experiencing an anxiety disorder in the previous
twelve months.
pPost-traumatic stress disorder was the most common anxiety disorder (24%).
One in twenty prisoners has attempted suicide in the twelve months.

Chronic physical ill health
Prevalence of infectious disease is extremely high among the prison population.
The mortality rate of prisoners who have recently returned to the community,
especially those serving community corrections orders, exceeds both the prison
population and the general. The unnatural death rate of ex-prisoners in Victoria is 10 times that of the general community. The greatest risk of unnatural death is in the weeks immediately following release from prison and the risk is elevated for those who had previously been imprisoned.

Inadequate education and low levels of literacy
The prison population overall shows a very low level of education and poor literacy,relative to the general population. Eighty per cent of young offenders in one study had left school with no form of qualification, compared with eight per cent in the general population.  Sixteen per cent had left school
before the legal minimum age. Young offenders may face exclusion from the school system.

Unemployment and welfare reliance
The prison population, and the homeless, face significant difficulties in securing and retaining employment. This may be due in part to stigmatisation and discrimination, but is also likely to be due in part to poor levels of education and
literacy and the lifestyle associated with offending behaviour.
Ex-prisoners with jobs commit fewer crimes than ex-prisoners without jobs.Ex-prisoners with higher income levels also commit fewer crimes than those with lower levels of income. Studies have found a reduced likelihood of employment among ex-prisoners and have found that unemployed ex-prisoners are more likely to be reconvicted than those in employment

Aboriginality
There is an over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the criminal justice system, with Indigenous Australians 16 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-Indigenous Australians. The social disadvantages experienced by this group at very high levels (e.g. unemployment, poverty, alcohol abuse) have been suggested as factors linked to the overrepresentation of this section of the Australian community in the criminal justice system. The cumulative disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people lead to outcomes such as far less access to affordable and stable housing than other Australians.