Question reference: S5W-28557
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 20 April 2020
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will resume the work of the Sustainable Housing for Everyone (SHORE) standards, and for what reason it paused this workstream.
Answer
A national review of the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) standards has been paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so that Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and partners can focus on the public health emergency. That in no way detracts from the implementation of the standards. SPS, local authorities and their local partners are working together tirelessly to ensure individuals have suitable accommodation to go to on the day they are liberated from prison and this has been a focus of the early prisoner release planning.
The implementation of the SHORE standards has continued since its publication in December 2017. Scottish Government has engaged regularly with local authorities, SPS, COSLA, ALACHO, SOLACE, Community Justice Scotland and other partners to understand what impact the standards are having on individuals’ reintegration into communities, not just through meeting housing needs, but also by improving access to other public services and supporting them to avoid reoffending.