Around 90,000 prisoners are discharged from our prisons each year, and each is sent back into society with a ‘discharge grant’ – equal to one week of income support. The problem is that this has to last two weeks, because Income Support is paid fortnightly in arrears.

In effect, prisoners are released with one hand tied behind their back. Many fall back into crime as a result.

UNLOCK would like to see a wide ranging reform of the whole discharge and release procedure. Following discussions with HM Prison Service, UNLOCK is hopeful that this anomaly will be addressed … but it was ex-offenders who put this issue on the Service’s agenda.