Over 17 per cent of the UK population between the ages of 18 and 52 have a criminal conviction, and they have found themselves with a largely negative reputation amongst bosses who are averse to hiring ex-offenders.
It’s suffice to say that the odds are stacked against them, especially when conviction history remains one of the few areas where bosses can legally discriminate.
Given the number of people with criminal records though, it’s no longer an issue we can turn a blind eye to there’s a pool of untapped people in prison who may have the skills you so desperately seek. And if we re to close that productivity gap and keep a lid on mental health then it will mean employing more people than before and we mean those most bosses don’t like to talk about hiring.
Not only will you be raising your corporate responsibility in the eyes of the public, you?ll be making a huge difference to the economy solving the mysterious link between employment rates and crime levels. In fact, champion Richard Branson claimed 70 per cent of those leaving prison re-offend within 12 months as they?re unable to find a job.
This was a figure he cited in a letter to the Financial Times. Having a conviction is undoubtedly a major handicap for a job seeker, and UK companies are often reluctant to provide the second chance prison leavers need. From experience, people from prison, if properly selected, will prove to be just as reliable as recruits who come from elsewhere,” he explained.
“It is their personality that matters most. With the prison population being 84,000 there is a large number of superstars who get ignored by bosses because of their record. It makes sense to recruit these individuals and to make use of their skills and enthusiasm.
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Nonetheless, hiring ex-offenders is still something of a taboo issue. A 2013 survey by Business in the Community found less than half of business leaders would think of interviewing someone with a criminal record. At the same time, 80 per cent of respondents agreed people coming out of prison should be given a second chance. That’s a bit of a dilemma.
Find out how the cost of reoffending is equal to putting on the Olympics every year.
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Branson has previously commented that many people who end up in prison have experienced a lot of bad luck in their lives,” said Jonathan Freeman, managing director of Mosaic. Indeed, young offenders are considerably more likely to have been in care, to have witnessed violence in the home or to have been the victim of crime than young people in the general population. And most women in prison have been convicted of relatively minor acquisitive crimes such as shoplifting, or defaulted on fines imposed for other non-custodial offences such as prostitution.
“It’s a staggering fact that one in three people re-offend within 48 hours of release from prison and around two thirds re-offend within two years. The cost of reoffending is estimated to be as high as £13bn per year the same as putting on the Olympics every year. That is a cost that we are each individually and as businesses paying for through our taxes.
Mosaic is the Prince of Wales” mentoring initiative and works to inspire young people from deprived communities to realise their talents. In the years since it was established, Freeman said, Mosaic has delivered a re-offending rate 20 per cent lower than the national average. So the evidence is clear: where those leaving prison are able to gain stable employment, or training with secured employment, the likelihood of their re-offending is reduced by up to two thirds a statistic courtesy of Mosaic.
“The offer of employment can make a huge difference to the lives of ex-offenders and their communities,” Freeman said. Likewise, hiring ex-offenders can bring real benefits to an employer. Research into businesses employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with criminal records, found nearly half saw a direct positive financial impact, 90 per cent experienced improved staff engagement and capability and 92 per cent benefitted from an enhanced reputation. Ex-offenders in particular are often incredibly loyal employees and have lower rates of absenteeism.
But there’s much more to gain from joining a scheme than showcasing how seriously you take community issues. Ex-offender placement schemes have been very attractive in terms of recruitment of staff,” said UK Power Networks” HR director, Chris Degg. It’s increased our profile across a certain community which we most probably wouldn?t have direct contact with. It’s been a tremendous benefit for the profile of the organisation and from an employer’s perspective in the personal development of our employees as a result of being mentors.
It’s time to look beyond the label of ?offender” or so says high street chain Timpson. The key cutter, shoe and watch repairer and engraver extraordinaire has long been known for its links with various prisons and hiring ex-offenders.
?The word offender shouldn?t compute when recruiting as you’re looking to assess the skills and potential each individual possesses,” CEO James Timpson explained. It benefited us because we find people who are motivated and enthusiastic about working for us. It also benefits the individual as employment gives them the best possible chance to avoid re-offending.
More crucially, he explained the staff recruited from prisons were among the best employees he had. So when you’ve got big businesses like Virgin, Timpson and Marks & Spencer setting such a positive example, it should make you just a little less worried of what might happen to your firm if you actively reach out and look at hiring ex-offenders.
