KPMG recently urged other employers to recruit prison leavers as part of a national campaign to reduce reoffending and hire vital skills. Peter Cox sets out the evidence in favour of hiring ex-offenders.
“We want to play our part in helping prison leavers turn their lives around.” These were the words of KPMG UK chief executive Jon Holt, as the big four accountancy firm was unveiled as a partner in the Ministry of Justice’s national campaign calling on businesses to recruit prison leavers.
From the perspective of the government, the rationale behind the campaign is clear: supporting more former prisoners into employment after their release can play a key role in reducing the £18 billion annual cost to society of reoffending.
Prison leavers in full-time employment are roughly 10 percentage points less likely to re-offend than their peers who are out of work.
With around a million vacancies to be filled in the current jobs market, there is an obvious benefit for employers too. But new research commissioned by prison education provider Novus into public attitudes towards rehabilitation reveals that businesses which hire former prisoners stand to receive a significant reputational boost too.
Employing ex-offenders
The survey of 5,000 respondents found that companies which hire ex-offenders are viewed positively by the public – and almost four out of five respondents said they would feel comfortable working alongside a recently-released offender.
With the UK economy facing a shortage of workers, 59% of respondents said that they think companies which hire ex-offenders are making a positive contribution to society, with a further 50% saying that they view these companies as more socially responsible than those that don’t.
Warm welcome
When asked how comfortable they would feel with their own employer employing an ex-offender, 79% said that they would feel comfortable working with someone released in the last six months or less.
Furthermore, one in three said that they would feel comfortable with their employer offering a current prisoner an apprenticeship or job. As one of the first education providers to facilitate apprenticeships being offered to serving prisoners in the open estate, we at Novus are fully supportive of developing this emerging route for supporting offenders into sustainable employment after their release.
The poll of voters from across the political spectrum examined the opinions and attitudes of the British public on a range of subjects related to justice and rehabilitation of offenders. We know that finding secure and stable employment upon release is key to breaking cycles of reoffending so it is extremely encouraging that the vast majority of people feel comfortable working with an ex-offender.
These findings signal a societal shift towards embracing inclusivity and compassion. Each job opportunity extended to an ex-offender is a step towards turning past challenges into future triumphs.
Cost of reoffending
These latest findings follow data Novus published earlier this year which found that 60% of voters agree that educating prisoners and developing their skills is a good way to use taxpayers’ money.
However, when told that reoffending costs the economy £18 billion every year according to Ministry of Justice data and that education is proven to reduce reoffending by 7.5 percentage points, support for educating prisoners and developing their skills increased to 68% overall, with support ranging from to 65% amongst Conservative voters to 73% among Labour voters.
This research provides companies – large and small – with reassurance that they can hire ex-offenders safe in the knowledge that it will not create issues for their existing employees and that is also highly likely to enhance their reputation and public perception.
Coupled with the fact that employers in many sectors are crying out for skilled workers, these findings further underline the importance of providing prisoners with access to education and training programmes to acquire the skills they will need to secure stable employment upon release.
Each job opportunity extended to an ex-offender is a step towards turning past challenges into future triumphs
But we all know that, for ex-offenders, having the right skillset only takes you so far – unless you find an employer willing to give you a chance. This is why LTE Group, the family of education and training providers which Novus is part of, is proud to have signed up for the Ban the Box campaign. This campaign is made up of employers which have pledged to remove the criminal convictions tick box from job application forms, and instead ask about offences later in the recruitment process.
The principle of judging candidates first and foremost on the basis of their skills and suitability for a role, rather than their past mistakes, is one which we wholeheartedly endorse.
Removing unnecessary barriers to employment enables ex-offenders to thrive and prosper. And, as our research demonstrates, the public is supportive of employers which champion social responsibility by hiring ex-offenders. Not only does supporting former prisoners into work bring benefits for individuals and taxpayers, it is employers themselves which stand to gain the most of all.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Diversity and inclusion opportunities on Personnel Today
Browse more Diversity and inclusion jobs
