January 7, 2005: Howard League Hails Radical Rethink of Prison Work

The Howard League for Penal Reform has welcomed the Home Affairs Select Committee report calling for a radical rethink of the prison regime so that prisoners benefit from a real work experience arising from the Howard League's oral and written evidence.

The Howard League commended the idea that prisoners should be employed by private companies or community organisations. However, it warned that this was a limited objective since private companies work for profitability not social benefit and local community groups tend to concentrate on small scale charitable work. It said that social enterprise should be the foundation for real work by prisoners.

The Howard League is about to open up its Real Work social enterprise to deliver real benefits to victims, communities, charities, taxpayers, employers, businesses, prisoners' families and prisoners themselves.

For the first time ever, prisoners will be paid a real salary (at least the minimum wage) for real work. Employed by the Howard League, prisoners will pay tax, national insurance, make a voluntary donation to Victim Support, contribute towards enriching the prison regime, save for a pension, and save for their release. This will equip prisoners with the skills they need to find gainful employment and take responsibility for themselves and their families on release.

Howard League Director Frances Crook said:

"Prisoners who have employment on release are much less likely to reoffend than those who go to the dole. Our social enterprise will create a virtuous circle: more ex-prisoners employed so less crime, a safer society, more community revenue as prisoners will pay taxes, a contribution to the enterprise economy and society as a whole. At the moment prisons are more likely to ensure that you or I are the next victim - the Howard League for Penal Reform joins with the Home Affairs Select Committee to change this."