§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners have immediate access to benefits and services provided by the Department on the point of release. [91369]
§ Malcolm WicksEx-offenders have particular difficulties in returning to the labour market. We also know that those without accommodation or employment are twice as likely to re-offend. In recognition of this we are introducing a number of initiatives to help ex-offenders move into work.
£3 million has been allocated over three years to the development of Freshstart, launched in October 2001. Freshstart aims to improve the transition from custody to work through improving the links between prisons and jobcentres. It also provides prisoners who have not already secured a job with an appointment for a new jobseeker interview on release, providing direct access to jobs and the new deal, as well as speeding up their claim for jobseeker's allowance. By the end of November 2002, over 23,000 new jobseeker interviews had been booked.
In July 2002 we launched a pilot scheme to place touch-screen jobpoints in prisons. There are two trials currently running; computer access to the Department's Worktrain site in Durham, Onley, Askham Grange and Moorland prisons; and jobpoints in Lewes, Swansea, Hollesley Bay and Featherstone prisons.
1006WWe are also currently developing an Employment and Benefit Surgeries in Prisons project to meet the recommendations made in the Home Office Social Exclusion Unit report "Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners". We aim to start national roll out later in 2003. The project will offer all prisoners aged 18 and over one-to-one guidance on access to the full range of benefits and services offered by the Department. Typically this will cover:
Job search activityTraining and education opportunitiesSupport programmes such as new deal and progress2workLinkUpProcedures to follow and steps to take in making a claim to benefitThis new work will build upon and complement existing provision for ex-offenders.
We have also developed a number of pilot programmes called Progress2work-LinkUP which focus on providing support for those at greatest disadvantage within the labour market, including ex-offenders. This initiative extends existing provision to tackle the issues that represent significant barriers to employment. The pilots support people by:
providing specialist advice away from the normal New Deal and other mainstream measures andoffering access and referral to appropriate specialistsNine pilots were launched in autumn 2002 in Avon and Somerset, Merseyside and Metropolitan and West Yorkshire. Up to 10 further pilots are planned for 2003–04 focusing on the Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and Thames Valley areas.