New employability boards to aid prisoners obtain gainful work

Firms such as Lotus Cars and Sodexo will chair new Employment Advisory Boards across the prison estate following a successful trial.

The boards act as a link between jails and employers, making sure that offenders use their time in prison to gain the skills and links to job opportunities they need to head straight into stable work upon release.

This is crucial in tackling the £18bn cost of reoffending, cutting crime and boosting public protection, as ex-offenders in steady jobs within 6 months of leaving prison are nine percentage points less likely to commit further crime.

Employment Advisory Boards have already been established in 20 prisons, and will be up and running in all 91 ‘resettlement’ prisons in England and Wales by April 2023.

Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab MP, said: “Getting prison leavers into work is a formula that works. It reduces the chance of reoffending – cutting crime and making the public safer.

“It’s a true win-win, allowing us to boost public protection and save the taxpayer money, while providing the reliable staff businesses need to drive the British economy.”

In a survey, 90 per cent of employers who have taken on ex-offenders say they are “motivated, reliable, good at their job and trustworthy”.

Employment Advisory Boards are chaired by experts from companies such as car manufacturer Lotus, construction firm Murphy Group and business services provider Sodexo. They work with prisons to ensure they understand what employers want so offenders have the right skills and links to job opportunities on release.