Prison Leavers: Support into Employment
(Penistone and
Stocksbridge) (Con)
What steps her Department is taking to support prison leavers
into employment.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse
Coffey)
We are committed to cross-Government working to help prison
leavers into work and to reduce reoffending. In support of the
Prime Minister’s crime and justice taskforce, we are funding an
additional 30 prison work coaches, bringing the total up to 200,
to go into prisons after covid restrictions are lifted with a
focus on both gaining employment and accessing benefits promptly,
to remove excuses for prison leavers to return immediately to
crime.
Northern College in my constituency is a resident education
college that gives disadvantaged adults a second chance at adult
education. Many students are former prisoners, but thanks to the
college’s outstanding tuition and pastoral support, they go on to
achieve educational success and secure well-paid employment.
Sadly, the funding for such colleges is under threat, so will my
right hon. Friend work with colleagues in the Department for
Education to secure the future of Northern College and ensure
that former prisoners continue to have access to this amazing
opportunity to turn their lives around?
Dr Coffey
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. I will
absolutely share her concerns on the specific college to which
she refers, Northern College. As I say, the Government are
committed to helping ex-offenders to re-establish themselves back
into the community and into work. As part of the Government
taskforce, though, I am very keen to help prisoners get the right
job skills while they are still in prison so they can walk
straight out of prison into the world of work. However, the
elements to which she refers will continue to be important in
ensuring that people stay in jobs and succeed in jobs.
