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Posted by Editor on 15th January 2012 at 12:55 AM
Backing for Kenneth Clarke's proposal for 40 hour working week for prisoners
As recently released figures show the number of prisoners is at a record high, private prison provider G4S today backs Kenneth Clarke’s approach on how ‘working prisons’ could drastically cut re-offending rates

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke’s proposal for prisoners to work a 40 hour week has been given backing from private prison operator G4S today, who have released guidance to businesses for how ‘working prisons’ can be implemented in the UK, based on their own successful model which they have run in prisons in England and Wales for the last 11 years.

Recently released Government figures show that the number of inmates in UK prisons is at a record high. The Justice Secretary has proposed that a working prisons system would prepare prisoners for employment on release and therefore cut the likelihood of repeat offending.

G4S, which is the UK’s leading private provider of prison services, has today released guidance for businesses on how they can grow using the resources available within prisons. The guide is based on its experience of ‘working prisons’ schemes in England and Wales for the last 11 years, working with private companies to provide paid employment for prisoners in a variety of fields such as IT and engineering.

The company has also commissioned a survey of British business attitudes to working prisons, showing six in ten firms are not aware of the Government’s initiative to make prisons places of work.

Moreover the research demonstrates an almost total lack of awareness among business leaders of the benefits working prisons could bring, such as low overheads, modern working facilities and low wages.

The research also shows 43% of businesses would not even consider working with, or within a prison, due to a range of misguided prejudices, such as poor security, poor skills levels and unnecessary red tape.

However, G4S’ experience shows that businesses which do get involved not only benefit commercially, but help to dramatically reduce reoffending rates – from the national average of around 50%[1] to around 3% in certain cases.

G4S started using a Working Prison model in the UK at HMP Wolds in East Yorkshire in the early 90s and has since incorporated the concept into their other establishments, particularly HMP Altcourse in Liverpool and HMP and YOI Parc, is Bridgend, South Wales. G4S is also looking at expanding this into its other prisons: HMP Rye Hill, near Rugby, HMP Birmingham (which was transferred from the public sector) and the new prison Featherstone 2 in Wolverhampton, which opens in April 2012.

G4S works with companies such as Summit Media at HMP Wolds, which runs an online digital marketing and strategy business from inside the prison, and the Lancashire-based engineering company Norpro, at HMP Altcourse which has recently implemented a full metal fabrication workshop, enabling it to take on work which was previously done in India.

A number of these companies work 40 hours or more a week, operate multiple shifts throughout the day and/or provide lunch facilities at the place of work. For over 10 years, they have also had policies in place to encourage prisoners to make contributions towards their own rehabilitation (through savings schemes) and to victims of crime (through voluntary contributions). In HMP Altcourse, the Victim Support scheme has raised over £65,000 in the last decade.

G4S prisons involve stakeholders in the delivery of working prisons, helping to deliver skills, training and experience for offenders, and dramatically improving their life chances and prospects on release and in effect cutting reoffending rates.

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Ex Seadog ( member )  15th January 2012
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I can see a flaw in this plan. Whilst it may cut re-offending rates, what about the law-abiding citizens who lose their jobs as a result of their employer choosing to use the cheap prison labour? Also, what jobs will the freed prisoners do on the outside after their release? All the work is being done inside the prison, by the next generation of criminals. Some of whom possibly being the desperate people who lost their jobs to the prisoners in the first place.

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