Prison must lead to work, say Ministers
A major conference held in London today will explore how Government, the prison service and local employers can work together to get more offenders into work and out of a life of crime when they leave prison.
Skills Minister David Lammy and Prisons Minister David Hanson will meet ex-offenders, Prison Service personnel and employers to discuss what more can be done to ensure offenders in prison and on probation can improve their chances of getting into work.
Significant improvements to the training of prisoners have been made over the past decade, the most significant of which is to get employers into prisons to advise on the most relevant skills needed in the workplace - a key achievement of which has been to substantially improve basic literacy and numeracy. Ministers want to build on this good practice to ensure business and communities benefit.
The National Offender Management Service, with its partners in Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council, is working with employers to create skills training and employment opportunities for offenders both in prison and on release.
Skills Minister David Lammy MP said:
"The great things exhibited in the workshops today are a demonstration of the power of partnerships which come together to benefit employers, transform offenders' lives and make society safer by reducing re-offending.
"I wish all the partners at our three conferences success and would spur them on to do more, as we need a step change in our response to reducing re-offending. I would encourage all employers to see the business benefits in linking with prisons to get offenders into training and into work."
Minister for Prisons, David Hanson MP said:
"Reforming offenders so they can positively contribute to society as well as being punished for their crimes is what prison is about and what society wants. This means providing a constructive regime which gives people inside prison the chance of a law abiding life outside prison; education and training is a significant element of that.
"Initiatives like the new vocational training centre at HMP Leeds which I will be opening this afternoon are an inspiring example of how we can improve employment opportunities for prisoners on release so they don't return to a life of offending. That means fewer victims and less crime.
"I congratulate the partners here for the work they have done and continue to do to give offenders the opportunity to live a crime-free life."
Notes to Editors
1. Today's conference is one of three events, held in Birmingham (17 June), York, (19th June) and London Novatel Hammersmith (24th June) designed to showcase best practice in offender learning.
2. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) NOMS is the system through which the Government commissions and provides the highest quality correctional services and interventions in order to protect the public and reduce re-offending. By 2010 NOMS aims to have made a significant reduction in re-offending rates.
NOMS aims to:
* protect the public
* transform the way we punish and manage offenders
* reduce re-offending
* cut crime
Published on: 2008-06-25
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