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Prisons: Employment

Answer

The Ministry of Justice has commissioned the 'Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction Survey' which will examine the nature of prisoners' work and training in prison and the associations of this with the take up of employment after release and the nature of such employment. When these data are linked with re-offending data from the Police National Computer it will be possible to examine the statistical associations between prison work/training and re-offending. The post-release employment data will be available in the summer of 2009 while the re-offending data will be available in 2010.In respect of previous findings, a review by the then Department for Education and Skills¹ concluded that prison-based employment interventions were effective in helping offenders gain and retain employment.There is recognition of the role of employment agencies and employers in helping to secure employment for ex-prisoners in England and Wales. The emerging evidence on basic skills training in prison suggests that these courses can improve prisoners' skills².In terms of international evidence, a United States study examined evaluations of programmes that attempt to augment the educational, vocational, and job skills of adult offenders in both prison and community settings and found that on average, these programmes do reduce re-offending³. Another study evaluated the impact of prison work and vocational and apprenticeship training on post-prison rates of employment and offending among a study group and a comparison sample matched on a range of factors predictive of participation in the scheme and other demographic and background variables. The study group was 35 per cent. less likely to breach the terms of their supervision or be re-arrested during the first 12 months following release. The study group was also 14 per cent. more likely to be employed4."¹ Hurry, J., Brazier L., Parker M, and Wilson A., (2006). Rapid evidence assessment of interventions that promote employment for offenders. London: Department for Education and Skills.""² Stewart, D. (2005). An evaluation of basic skills training for prisoners. Home Office Research Findings 260. London: Home Office.""³ Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2006). Evidence-Based Adult Corrections Programs: What Works and What Does Not. Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Available online at:""www.wsipp.wa.gov""4 Saylor, W.G. and Gaes, G.G. (1997) 'Training inmates through industrial work participation and vocational and apprenticeship instruction'. Corrections Management Quarterly, 1 (2) 32-43"

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

483 c1306W; 239192

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Employment Prisons

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk