Employment: Offenders

(asked on 10th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of policies to help former prisoners find employment.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 16th January 2019

This Government recognises that supporting ex-offenders into work is a crucial part of effective rehabilitation. That is why Ministry of Justice launched the Education and Employment strategy to create a system where each prisoner is set on a path to employment as soon as they enter prison.

It is also why the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has dedicated Prison Work Coaches based in resettlement prisons across Great Britain, who work with prisoners, prison services, local partners and employers to help secure training, work experience and employment opportunities for prisoners at the start of their sentence, during their sentence and after release.

Ex-offenders are also entitled to tailored support from Jobcentre Work Coaches and early, priority access to the Work and Health Programme, to ensure they receive more intensive employment support.

DWP does not currently collate data to identify an ex-offender in a way that allows robust reporting. We are therefore committed to gathering better data to support claimants with complex needs and has prioritised this as part of the wider work programme for Universal Credit.

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