A homeless man has died within days of being released from prison in Swansea, raising urgent questions about resettlement support for vulnerable ex-inmates. Mark Johnston, aged 49, was found dead five days after his release, with a prisons ombudsman report highlighting serious shortcomings in the handling of his case.
Mr Johnston, who had long struggled with addiction to heroin, crack cocaine and alcohol, was released from HMP Swansea in April 2024 with no fixed abode to go to. According to the report by prisons ombudsman Adrian Usher, “workload pressures” on the prison’s overstretched staff caused key delays in helping Mr Johnston secure accommodation before his release. This contributed to him being left homeless and ultimately vulnerable on the outside.
The ombudsman’s findings paint a stark picture of the challenges faced by many leaving prison. Mr Johnston, known locally as “the Hoover Thief” due to previous offences involving the theft of vacuum cleaners, served an 18-week sentence for theft beginning in December 2023. Despite the prison being aware of his complex needs—including previous suicide attempts and a long history of drug dependency—he left HMP Swansea without stable housing or the naloxone kit that could potentially have saved his life in the case of an opioid overdose.
The report revealed that the prison’s resettlement team did not see Mr Johnston for housing referral until just five days before his scheduled release, granting minimal time for any meaningful intervention. This was attributed to resettlement staff being overburdened with cases, resulting in avoidable delays for prisoners identified as high risk.
Compounding the issue, the ombudsman noted confusion among staff about who was responsible for initiating homelessness referrals. This lack of clarity reportedly led to missed opportunities to offer Mr Johnston appropriate support as he prepared for release. Notably, there was no documentation to explain why Mr Johnston was not provided with naloxone, a medication recognised for its effectiveness in reversing opioid overdoses—a standard precaution for inmates with histories similar to Mr Johnston’s.
Tragically, on April 5th, only two days after leaving prison, Mr Johnston was found dead on a sofa at a friend’s residence after an evening involving alcohol and drugs. A post-mortem examination determined drug toxicity, specifically from bromazolam, as the cause of death. The coroner ruled that his death was directly connected to drug use.
According to ombudsman Usher, as many as a third of prisoners leaving HMP Swansea are released either homeless or into temporary accommodation—a statistic that exposes the far-reaching effects of strained prison resources and inadequate resettlement processes. The ombudsman recommended that prison governors develop robust systems to identify at-risk prisoners as soon as they enter custody, ensuring they are prioritised for intervention to maximise the chances of securing accommodation before release.
The report also emphasised the need for all probation staff to understand their responsibilities under ‘duty to refer’ policies, ensuring no one falls through the gaps due to confusion or overwork. The case has sparked broader concerns over the continuity of care for the most vulnerable individuals transitioning between custody and the community.
Mr Johnston was known in Swansea for a string of shoplifting incidents and had previous convictions for thefts and even assaulting a police officer, resulting in a series of short custodial sentences. However, his death has reignited debate about the effectiveness of short-term prison sentences for those with complex addiction and mental health needs, as well as the ongoing challenges surrounding prison resettlement services under pressure.
As the authorities seek to learn lessons from this tragedy, there are renewed calls for a more joined-up approach to supporting ex-prisoners—highlighting the need for housing, mental health, and addiction services to work better together. The hope is that in future, vulnerable individuals like Mark Johnston will not be left facing homelessness, addiction and isolation, but instead offered a genuine chance to rebuild their lives after prison.