A new government scheme has been launched and brings together major retailers and businesses to help transform the lives of ex-offenders through employment opportunities. Companies including Cook, Greggs, and Iceland, are taking leading roles in newly established Employment Councils designed to support offenders in finding stable work while serving community sentences.
The initiative builds upon successful prison employment advisory boards and expands support across entire regions, rather than limiting opportunities to areas immediately surrounding prisons. With data showing that employed ex-offenders are half as likely to reoffend compared to those without jobs, this program directly targets the cycle of crime.
Lord James Timpson, minister for probation, prisons and reducing reoffending, highlights the "win-win" nature of the scheme, which will provide comprehensive support including mock interviews, CV advice, and training tips through job center work coaches. The business community has shown strong support, with the Government stating that: "Over 90 percent of businesses that employ ex-offenders agreed they are motivated, reliable, good at their job and trustworthy, according to a survey by Kantar Public commissioned by the Ministry of Justice".
