Approved Premises

In the United Kingdom, Approved Premises (AP), formerly known as probation or bail hostels, are residential units which house offenders in the community. They are recognised under the Offender Management Act 2007, and can provoke a hostile reception in the communities in which they are located. There are one hundred such hostels in England and Wales, and a further six in Northern Ireland. Fourteen of the APs in England and Wales were banned from housing child sex offenders in 2006 following a media campaign, which has led to some criticism.