The report stated that 36 per cent, or 71 applications, were adjourned because the applicants needed suitable accommodation.

The annual reports showed that this was an ongoing trend, with the 2021 report stating that 24 per cent or 73 applications were also adjourned that year.

According to research analyst Mia Schlicht of the Institute of Public Affairs, the cost of incarceration to Australian taxpayers is $147,900 per year or $405 per day.

A Justice Reform Initiative report released in 2021 stated the number of people in Tasmanian prisons has risen by nearly 40 per cent over the past decade and that 58 per cent of young people in the state return to prison less than a year after being released.

Greens housing spokesperson Vica Bayley said, "It's really important for our justice system and for community safety to ensure that people who are finishing their custodial sentences are supported into stable housing.

"This kind of support gives people the best chance of making a fresh start and reduces the chances they re-offend and end up in jail.

"Investment in housing and support services is basic common sense and in the public interest," he said.

Benedict Bartl, principal solicitor with the Tenants' Union of Tasmania, said, "The Tasmanian community is safer in the long run when prisoners are granted parole and are able to spend more time re-connecting with their families and engaging with employment, training, and educational opportunities.

"The lack of housing options means that many prisoners are languishing in prison.

"Prisoners are caught in a catch-22 where they cannot get parole without housing and cannot get housing without parole already having been granted," he said.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services annual reports, the waitlist for social housing has almost doubled (99 per cent increase) over the last decade, from 2,310 applicants in 2012/13 to 4,598 applicants in June 2023.

The Homes Tasmania last annual report stated the number of social housing households in Tasmania increased by 242 between June 2021 and June 2022.