ABSTRACT
The use of hostels to accommodate offenders dates back to the early years of the twentieth century when the Criminal Justice Administration Act (1914) gave the courts powers to add a condition of residence to a probation order. There have been repeated plans to expand hostel provision since their inception. In 1978 the House of Commons Expenditure Committee looked at pressures on the prison system and recommended expansion of the hostel system, particularly for bailees. The development of hostels coincided with a broader concern with the impact of social factors, particularly housing and employment, on offending. It was felt that hostels could cater for the welfare needs of offenders through offering them stable accommodation, and support with move-on accommodation and finding employment. Equality of opportunity is a notion that gained popularity in the UK in the 1980s and has led to the development of equal opportunities policies governing many areas of social life.
