§ Lord Chadlingtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the average length of time it takes a former inmate to find employment on being released from prison; and [HL4325]
141WAWhat schemes are available to former prison inmates to help them back into employment. [HL4326]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe information provided covers England and Wales and Northern Ireland. For information with respect to Scotland, I refer the noble Lord to the Scottish Executive.
The Prison Service in England and Wales is investing £14 million a year in the custody-to-work initiative, to help more prisoners to secure a job or education or training place on release. From information collected by prisons in 2004–05, 31 per cent of prisoners currently have a job or education or training place to go to on release. Others are connected through the Freshstart initiative with the employment programmes and other support available through their local Jobcentre.
More than 20,000 released prisoners made use of this help in 2003–04. Jobcentre Plus employment and benefits surgeries have been introduced across the prison estate. Released prisoners can obtain early access to New Deal programmes and are a main focus of progress2work, which helps those with a history of drug misuse into the labour market.
All probation areas in England and Wales have their own provision or independent sector partnerships to deliver employment-related services to offenders, including released prisoners, under supervision by the National Probation Service, with around £8 million a year invested in these services. Probation areas also work in partnership with learning and skills councils, Jobcentre Plus and employers to help released prisoners to access basic skills and vocational training and find employment.
In Northern Ireland, staff at each Jobcentre and jobs and benefits office can provide advice on improving employability, essential skills, and other issues. Ex-prisoners are eligible to participate in early entry to programmes such as New Deal, Worktrack and Training for Work and can access other specific programmes, such as Jobtrack, that are tailored to the needs of offenders. The department is also working with the Northern Ireland Prison Service and Probation Board for Northern Ireland to assist in the implementation of the resettlement strategy.
Information about the average length of time it takes a former prisoner to find employment on being released from prison is not available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.