Michael Keough has to pause in the middle of his phone call from Newfoundland and Labrador害羞草研究所檚 largest jail to cough and wipe his eyes 害羞草研究所� there害羞草研究所檚 black mould on the wall where the phones are, he explains, and it irritates him after a while.

The 37-year-old is back at Her Majesty害羞草研究所檚 Penitentiary in St. John害羞草研究所檚 after declining a bail hearing in September and consenting to be placed on remand in the 164-year-old crumbling building, where an ongoing rodent infestation led to an inmate being bitten in his sleep.

The conditions inside the penitentiary are horrific, Keough said. But outside, he said, they害羞草研究所檙e worse. Keough is homeless, and he was living in a tent and panhandling before his current stay at the penitentiary. When someone stole his tent and he had nowhere left to go, he started stealing food again, waiting to be picked up by police and sent back to jail, where he害羞草研究所檇 at least have meals and a bed.

害羞草研究所淚f I was released on bail back in September, I would have been back in the same boat. I would have had no resources to help me get on income support, or anywhere to be housed in. So I would have been just under the same circumstance, building up more and more criminal charges,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview, adding that there are 害羞草研究所渟everal害羞草研究所� other men in the penitentiary on purpose, because they were homeless on the outside.

害羞草研究所淭his is the system I害羞草研究所檓 submersed in,害羞草研究所� he added.

The housing crisis gripping the country is having a profound effect on the justice system, speeding up the well-established carousel between homelessness and incarceration, according to people who work with incarcerated people. Inmates in provincial institutions are already released with few supports in place, said Ontario lawyer Beth Bromberg. But now, as homeless encampments spread across Canada, programs that find vulnerable people a spot in low-income or supportive housing are completely overrun.

害羞草研究所淚t is more and more difficult 害羞草研究所� actually I害羞草研究所檇 say it害羞草研究所檚 impossible, at this point, to get people housing,害羞草研究所� Bromberg said in an interview about her efforts to find recently incarcerated people a place to live.

So they go back to shelters or sleep rough, where it害羞草研究所檚 hard for support people to stay in touch with them, and where they害羞草研究所檙e more likely to fall back into mental crises or addictions, which probably landed them in jail in the first place, she said. And that makes them more likely to reoffend.

害羞草研究所淧eople cycle in and out of the provincial systems because they don害羞草研究所檛 have their needs met when they are released,害羞草研究所� Bromberg said. 害羞草研究所淎nd that costs our communities a fortune in incarceration, and in hospitalizations and in ambulances.害羞草研究所�

In British Columbia, Mo Korchinski runs Unlocking The Gates, a non-profit that picks up inmates when they害羞草研究所檙e released and helps them find shelter, food and other necessities.

She, too, said it害羞草研究所檚 all but impossible to find people a place to live, or even a spot in a shelter, because everything is full. As some governments scramble to make plans to solve the housing crisis in their province, Korchinski said they害羞草研究所檇 be wise to consider adding more supportive housing for people released from jail.

害羞草研究所淭hrowing (homeless people) in an out of corrections where they害羞草研究所檙e just basically warehoused isn害羞草研究所檛 the answer,害羞草研究所� Korchinski said in an interview.

In St. John害羞草研究所檚, Keough said he害羞草研究所檚 been in an out of incarceration for years. He害羞草研究所檚 lived much of his life alone 害羞草研究所� his mother is dead, and his other family members have turned him away because of his drug addictions, he said.

He was last released from custody in April, from Her Majesty害羞草研究所檚 Penitentiary, with 害羞草研究所渘othing but a phone number for an emergency shelter,害羞草研究所� he said. When he couldn害羞草研究所檛 get a shelter bed, he pitched a tent behind a hockey rink.

Money was scarce 害羞草研究所� it takes at least 28 days to be approved for social assistance in Newfoundland and Labrador, and he had neither a phone nor an address for anyone trying to contact him 害羞草研究所� so he panhandled, he said. But when his tent got stolen, he gave up.

害羞草研究所淚 turned back to what I害羞草研究所檝e been doing for the last 20 years of my life, stealing from stores 害羞草研究所� and surviving that way,害羞草研究所� he said.

He害羞草研究所檚 now awaiting trial on charges including robbery, assault and break and enter. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the security at least in knowing that I害羞草研究所檓 not going to be out in the rain and the cold for this winter,害羞草研究所� Keough said of life behind bars.

He would like to break the cycle but says he can害羞草研究所檛 get the help to do it. 害羞草研究所淚 do genuinely want to move forward.害羞草研究所�

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press