Bank Accounts for people leaving prison

A great number of individuals currently serving sentences or recently released don’t own a bank account. A new resource explores the reasons for this, the impact this has on society and the ways you can secure your own bank account.

Leaving prison is a moment to celebrate for many individuals, but the process of getting back on your feet can be gruelling. Without the right structure in place, life on the outside can be incredibly challenging to say the least.

A lack of post-prison accommodation is often cited as one of the biggest obstacles for the newly-released. Some 15 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women leaving UK prisons list ‘no fixed abode’ as their accommodation status, according to Homeless Link.

Also, finding employment, repairing family relationships and coping with the impact of imprisonment on one’s own mental health are just some of the common difficulties many face. And it’s these very same hurdles that are said to contribute to the incredibly high rates of reoffending in the UK, with 48 per cent of adults reconvicted within one year of release, according to the Prison Reform Trust.

So what’s the solution? There’s no simple answer to this, but achieving financial stability as soon as possible is crucial. While this might not be an easy task, one of the first steps is obtaining something a great number of prisoners don’t have: a bank account.

In this article, we explore why owning a bank account is so important for prison leavers, as well as the current problems surrounding this issue and how you can go about securing one for yourself. So if you’ve recently left prison, are still serving a sentence or know someone who could benefit from this content, please have a read:

Bank Accounts for people leaving prison