NCJ Number
238899
Date Published
2010
Length
95 pages
Annotation
This report from the Prison Reform Trust examines the impact that an individual's involvement with the criminal justice system in the United Kingdom has on banking, credit, debt, savings, financial capability, benefits, and insurance.
Abstract
Key findings from this report include the following: almost one-third of prisoners surveyed for the study indicated that they did not have a bank account; 40 percent of the prisoners interviewed and 64 percent of the former prisoners indicated that their debts had worsened during their sentence; housing debts were seen as the most important debts because they reduced an individual's change of securing housing upon release from prison; more than half of those surveyed reported being rejected for a bank loan, while 8 percent reported trying to borrow from a loan shark; two-thirds of the families surveyed indicated their debts had increased since their relative was imprisoned; one-third of prisoners interviewed were unsure of how to handle money, while over half of those interviewed were unsure of how to deal with banks; and over 80 percent of prisoners reported difficulty in obtaining insurance and being charged higher rates than non-offenders. This study examined the impact that an individual's involvement with the criminal justice in the United Kingdom has on banking, credit, debt, savings, financial capability, benefits, and insurance. The data for the report were obtained from a survey of 144 prisoners and 24 former prisoners, and interviews with 47 of the prisoners and 29 families of people with convictions. The survey questions and interviews were aimed at obtaining information on the effects of incarceration on the financial situation of prisoners and their families. Recommendations are included on ways to improve access and information to prisoners to improve their financial situations upon release from prison. Tables, figures, appendix, and references