Stardate 20020630.2103

(On Screen): Here in the simplistic US, most people who get sent to jail are also forced to pay a fine. Over in the UK they're talking about giving them a stipend.

Yup: HMG would give money each month to prisoners, and indeed quite a lot of it. And a lump payment as they are released. Why?

Released prisoners without homes to go to are six times more likely to reoffend, according to one study.

Housing benefits should be paid for up to six months to keep homes available, the report said.

Since prisoners without homes are more likely to commit new crimes, then increasing the number who have homes to go to will decrease the recidivism rate.

Well, maybe. That statistic: "releasees without homes are more likely to reoffend" could just as easily have been stated, "Those who reoffend are less likely to have homes". But when stated like that, it suggests a question: would giving them homes when they're released actually have any effect on the likelihood that they would commit new crimes? It's not obvious that it would.

All together now: correlation does not prove causation.