Hiring ex-offenders helps to fill skills gaps, strengthen businesses and create wider benefits for society – Sid Madge explains
Too many former prisoners reoffend after release – a problem the UK urgently needs to address. Reoffending rates vary based on factors like offence type, age and sentence length, but shockingly, up to 50% of ex-inmates will reoffend within a year.
By employing ex-offenders, businesses aren’t just filling job vacancies – they’re contributing to a powerful ripple effect that can reshape lives, families and communities
There are many reasons to address this (reoffending costs the UK around £18bn per year), but among the most compelling is that parental incarceration often serves as a strong predictor of future criminal behaviour, rivalling or exceeding other adverse childhood experiences such as parental divorce or growing up in poverty.
Prison sentences and children
Research shows that children of incarcerated parents are five to six times more likely to engage with the criminal justice system than their peers without such a background. For boys, the risk is particularly acute.
The absence of a parent due to imprisonment can lead to profound disruptions in a child’s life, including emotional trauma and instability. Additionally, families of incarcerated parents often face significant financial strain, deepening existing inequalities and reducing opportunities for children. In such environments, criminal behaviour may become normalised or even seen as a necessary means of coping with hardship.
Furthermore, the separation caused by imprisonment can disrupt the parent-child bond, impairing the child’s emotional development and increasing the likelihood of behavioural problems that might lead to offending.
Surely even the hardest of hearts, with zero sympathy for law-breakers, can see the societal benefits of breaking this cycle.
Breaking the cycle
It’s crucial that we have effective rehabilitation and support programmes for ex-prisoners. Access to housing and mental health support are key factors in helping prevent reoffending. As is employment. Which is where almost every business can help.
Some programmes have demonstrated good rates of post-release employment, particularly those involving close collaboration with businesses committed to employing former offenders. Government initiatives like the New Futures Network aim to bridge the gap between prisons and employers, creating clearer pathways to jobs.
Asda and Boots are among the businesses to get behind the Ban the Box campaign, which encourages companies to remove questions about criminal records from job applications. The idea is to focus on an applicant’s potential rather than any past mistakes.
Training for prisoners
At a time when industries are scrambling to find skilled labour – construction, engineering healthcare and hospitality desperately need workers – it’s worth noting that many prisoners have relevant experience or develop new skills during incarceration. Prison education and training initiatives are designed to address the diverse needs of inmates, ranging from basic literacy and numeracy to vocational skills and higher education. Their aim is to enhance employability and reintegration into society upon release.
The type of training offered in UK prisons varies widely and is influenced by the specific prison’s facilities and partnerships with external organisations. Courses often include vocational training in areas such as construction, catering, horticulture and manufacturing, as well as more niche skills like barbering or digital literacy.
There is also a focus on soft skills, including communication, teamwork and resilience, which are crucial for workplace success. In some cases, inmates can work toward qualifications recognised by employers, including National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) or apprenticeships.
Collaborations with charities and private-sector employers have further expanded training opportunities. The Clink Charity, for example, teaches catering skills, while partnerships with companies like Timpson offer training in shoe repair and key-cutting.
By employing ex-offenders, businesses aren’t just filling job vacancies – they’re contributing to a powerful ripple effect that can reshape lives, families and communities. Perhaps you can look at how your organisation can help with this important endeavour.
Remember, the benefits go beyond economics; it’s about building a fairer, safer society where everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
Sid Madge is the founder of Meee and author of the Meee in a Minutes series of books
