Reducing Re-offending through Employment

As a key strand of the Work Inclusion campaign, our reducing re-offending work seeks to support people whose criminal convictions act as a barrier to work.  Business in the Community recognises employment as a key route out of offending behaviour.

Social Case 

• Over 86,000 people are in prison at any one time and over 17% of the UK population between 18-52 have a criminal conviction, so the importance of reducing re-offending has never been more pressing
• 60% of short term prisoners re-offend within a year of release (http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0910/short_custodial_sentences.aspx).
• By diverting a person away from re-offending the state saves £47,500 per adult per year
• If individuals enter employment, they become tax payers rather than recipients of tax spending, creating a further incentive to the state

Business Case

• Despite the recession many sectors still struggle to attract the right candidates for vacancies including utilities, catering, transport, storage and communications sectors
• Businesses recognise the value of reaching and retaining talent - when businesses don't consider people with criminal convictions they are missing out on valuable talent

BITC programmes and activities:

Your company can support our reducing re-offending work through any of the following programmes:

Employers' Forum for Reducing Re-offending

The Forum's primary aim is to support more people with convictions into work.  It will acheive this aim by bringing companies who support the employability of people with convictions together to share their experiences and create peer-to-peer learning for companies who want to recruit from this group.  

Mosaic

Mosaic works towards a more integrated and thriving society where all individuals, regardless of background, are supported in realising their potential. 

http://www.mosaicnetwork.co.uk/
 

Key contact: Julian Yorke, Programme Manager, Prison Mentoring, julian.yorke@bitc.org.uk, 0207 566 8735 (office), 077 1853 4072 (mobile)

The Right Step

The Right Step helps to reduce re-offending by supporting employers and partners to secure jobs and training for ex-offenders in the East of England. Whether you are an employer, have come ‘through the gate’, or are a delivery partner - all have a part to play in reducing re-offending. This site shows how you can help and gives you the information and tools you need in order to make a difference.

http://therightstep.co.uk/

Key contact: Mike Brophy, BITC Regional Director, mike.brophy@bitc.org.uk,  01638 663272 (office), 077 3908 2426 (mobile)

Business Action on Homelessness (National)

Business Action on Homelessness supports homeless people to gain and sustain employment and actively campaigns for the removal of barriers to work. We believe that work is the best route out of homelessness and poverty and that businesses often overlook the talents of people with a homeless background.

Campaign