New statistics show rapid progress has been made to boost
employment for prison leavers, with the number of ex-offenders
who have been successfully steered into jobs within 6 months more
than doubling from 14% to 30% since April 2021.
It is helping to cut crime and tackle the £18 billion annual cost
of reoffending as ex-prisoners in steady jobs are known to be up
to 9 percentage points less likely to commit further crimes.
Business chiefs from household firms such as Co-op and Greggs
have helped spearhead initiatives such as Employment Advisory
Boards, which have been rolled out in 92 prisons to help improve
the education and training on offer.
Education programmes and workshops geared to local workforce
needs are also helping offenders learn new skills and access a
vibrant business network as they prepare for release.
The Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk, officially opened one such
workshop run by international logistics firm, DHL at HMP High
Down in Surrey yesterday (23 May). It will function as a DHL
warehouse for sorting and picking goods to be shipped to other
prisons across the country giving prisoners experience of
managing the movement of stock within the warehouse and the
processing of goods.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, KC, said:
Our drive to improve prison education and business links is
helping cut crime, with more prisoners going straight into work
on release than ever before.
Helping reformed offenders kickstart a new, law-abiding career is
a win-win - it makes our streets safer while providing businesses
with the reliable staff they need to help drive the British
economy.
Eight prisoners also worked on the construction of the workshop,
with 2 now in full-time employment with major construction firm
Galliford Try following their release.
Simon, who assisted with the construction of the workshop during
his sentence at HMP High Down said:
Helping to build the workshop has taught me new skills and given
me the confidence I need to pursue a career when I walk out the
prison gates.
I now have a job waiting for me on the outside and that makes me
hopeful I can make positive choices and stay on the straight and
narrow.
The Lord Chancellor’s visit followed him meeting representatives
from some of the UK’s leading businesses, at the annual
Employment Advisory Board conference on 11 May.
Since April 2022, the proportion of prison leavers finding work
within six weeks of release has increased from 15% to 19%, with a
further 30% in work after 6 months, up from 23%.
These significant increases come after the government rolled out
one-stop hubs in prison where prisoners can access career advice
and help with CV writing – akin to job centres in the community.
The Prison Service has also been running nationwide, month-long
recruitment drives focused on getting offenders into particular
sectors that are facing recruitment challenges, including
hospitality, construction and manufacturing.
Building on this momentum, next month marks the launch of a
campaign to get more ex-prisoners into the UK’s retail and
logistics sectors, in jobs such as warehouse workers, shop
assistants and online sales advisers.
Over the course of the campaign, business experts from the sector
will deliver tailored workshops and jobs fairs to give them the
skills and the insight they need to provide a positive
contribution to the community as soon as they step out of the
prison gates.
Prisoners are also supported by the Department for Work and
Pension’s (DWP) Work Coaches, who help them to get job-ready
through mock interviews and sharing tips on how to secure further
training opportunities on release.
, Minister for Social Mobility,
Youth & Progression, said:
The best route towards prosperity is through work, which is
especially true for those re-entering society after time spent in
prison. That’s why DWP employs prison Work Coaches across the
country who work directly with offenders to boost their skills
and get them job-ready for their release.
It’s great to see so many people following that route, and we
will continue to highlight to employers, through our Jobcentre
network, the contribution prison leavers can make to their
business.
The new data follows a recent report by the Centre for Social
Justice which sets out the benefits to the economy and society by
getting more ex-offenders into work.
Joe Shalam, Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice,
said:
We welcome the work of the Ministry of Justice to unlock both
aspiration and opportunities for people leaving prison. As well
as a punishment and deterrent, prison time must be used to ensure
that the cycle of reoffending is broken, protecting more would-be
victims of crime.
Employment is proven to cut reoffending, while also providing
prison leavers with the keys to a better and more stable life.
It’s a rare win-win that we should be doing everything to
achieve.
