Re-Unite
Re-Unite (2007 - 2017) was founded by Commonweal Housing, Women in Prison and Housing for Women in response to the problems faced by women trying to rebuild a stable family life when released from prison.
In partnership with:
Why was Re-Unite needed?
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Women exiting prison can’t get custody of their children because they don’t have a family house, and are unable to access family housing because they don’t have custody of their children. Not only does this mean that ex-offenders are placed at increased risk of homelessness and re-offending, but it also keeps mothers away from their children and prevents them from reuniting as a family.
The Housing Solution
Re-Unite provided in-prison support to identify potential women at an early stage, and provide advice and support on the nature and requirements of finding housing and the reunification process.
Two services were offered:
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The Mothers’ Programme that provided small flats or studios and support for women leaving prison with more challenging problems, to allow them to become eligible for the return of their children to their care.
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The Mothers’ and Children’s Programme, which provided family housing on the point of release for women leaving prison to reunite them immediately with their children.
Family support was provided to enable the successful reunion of the mother and children and development of the family. The families were also helped to access specialist support, such as counselling, mentoring, substance misuse and mental health services. Following work done by our partners in the Re-Unite Network, the scope of the Re-Unite project was subsequently expanded to include a renewed focus on the impacts of maternal imprisonment on children.
Project outcomes
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Over its ten-year cycle, Re-Unite supported 100 mothers and approximately 200 children.​​​​​
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Supported mothers experienced more stable transitions out of prison. Only 10% of women supported by the project reoffended, against a national average of c.25%.
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Re-Unite grew to a network of 12 women’s centres and housing associations around the country in 2014, working with mothers in every women’s prison across England.
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"The prison service discharged me from the hospital in North London with a newborn baby, four large duffle bags and £45 I think it was and I had to get back to South London. If it wasn’t for [name of support worker] I don’t know what I would have done.”
Re-Unite service user
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Key Learnings:
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During Re-Unite's ten year lifecycle, four separate evaluations recorded the considerable positive impact that the project had on the lives and families of women accepted on the scheme. The report, Re-Unite: Ten Year Review, complied the key findings and conclusions drawn over the decade as the project evolved and adapted in response to these evaluations.
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Conclusions from independent evaluations and reviews show:​
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Re-Unite service users reported transformative experiences throughout their time with the project. Many shared that taking responsibility for their children's care encouraged them to take responsibility for various aspects of their lives.
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The project provided exceptional value for money and delivered an excellent social return on investment. It improved the social, psychological, and financial outcomes for both the women and their children while also working to prevent a range of costly outcomes, including homelessness and children being taken into care and recidivism.
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Positive outcomes were observed in various areas for service users, including housing, finances, legal matters, family relationships, mental and physical health, and meaningful engagement in daily activities.
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The benefits of Re-Unite extend to the wider community by supporting women with complex social, emotional, and health challenges, as well as a history of offending, to lead productive lives and parent their children positively.
The lessons learned from the project indicate that the Re-Unite model works when it is available for the right women at the right point in their journey. But it is a model that picks up the pieces. Few of the mothers supported through Re-unite should have been jailed in the first place; sentencers failed to uphold existing legislation and guidance by considering the impact upon dependent children of sending a mother to prison.
The experience of Re-Unite demonstrates the systematic need for more cost-effective community sentence alternatives to short sentences, especially for non-violent crimes. Additionally, magistrates and judges should consider the potential impact of custodial sentences on children when sentencing mothers or any parents with care. These points are among the ten recommendations outlined in the final evaluation report for Re-Unite.
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Sarah's story
Sarah* had never been in trouble with the police before the incident that led to her prison sentence. Her younger sister had an altercation with several friends. Pushing and shoving occurred and Sarah got involved. The main victim received injuries to the face from a broken bottle held by Sarah.
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Although Sarah acknowledges that she was the perpetrator of the injuries, it was not her intention to injure the victim, and she was trying to protect her younger sister. Sarah was sentenced to 20 months for GBH, and spent 10 months in Holloway prison.
Her daughter, Catherine, was just over three years old when her mother went to prison, and lived with her dad. Sarah and Catherine’s father separated whilst Sarah served her sentence. When Sarah was due to be released she faced homelessness, and with minimal employment experience and no qualifications she had very few options to improve her situation. Sarah was referred to the Re-Unite program by Holloway Prison, and following an interview to assess her, she was accepted. This meant that upon coming out of prison there was a home for her and her daughter to move into, and support services for her rehabilitation.
It was a huge step for her to leave her support network in North London, but Re-Unite helped to find Catherine a new school and move them in. The broader support services that Re-Unite provide proved invaluable for Sarah to help her to establish routines and reduce anxiety about separation from her daughter while she was at school. The hours that the support worker put in were clearly beneficial.
Sarah is now in education, training as an accountant. She is ready to move on from the Re-Unite scheme when a property becomes available, and she is excited by this. She has engaged well with the Re-Unite program and benefited not just from being provided with a home, but from the dedicated support that allowed her to uncover some broader challenges related to her rehabilitation.
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*Names have been changed
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