Found: Q178 Virginia Crosbie: You have the New Futures Network and the training academies in both England

Found: expanded the service to Wales in June 2022. 54.Following the 2021 Prisons Strategy White Paper, the New

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the benefits to business of employing prison-leavers and to support businesses to do so.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We remain committed in increasing the number of prison leavers securing employment on release. The proportion of prison leavers who were employed six months after release more than doubled in the two years to March 2023, from 14% to over 30%. Meanwhile, the proportion who were in employment six weeks after their release almost doubled in the same period, from 9.8% to 19.4%

We know that supporting businesses and raising awareness around the benefits of employing prison leavers are integral in continuing this upward trend.

New Futures Network is the prison service’s specialist employment team that supports businesses to fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. They use a dedicated website and social media pages to inform the public, including employers, about the opportunities to recruit from prisons. New Futures Network brokers three main types of partnership between prisons and employers:

• Prison industries and academies: Workspaces set up by businesses, staffed by prisoners.
• Release on Temporary Licence: Paid work placements in the community for risk-assessed serving prisoners.
• Employment on release: When employers offer opportunities to individuals following their release from prison.

To increase awareness across sectors facing labour market shortages, in October 2022 New Futures Network began running a series of ‘Unlocking Potential’ recruitment drives in prisons. The most recent event in October 2023, Unlocking Hospitality, saw around 65 events held across 40 sites, attended by 40 employers and 885 prisoners. This resulted in 184 interviews and 45 job offers to date.

We also know that employers want to hear from other employers when talking about the benefits of employing prison leavers. Employment Advisory Boards bring together experienced professionals across the private and third sectors and have been established across 93 prisons. Chaired by business leaders, these are a forum to collaborate with leadership teams within prisons, to support them in creating a positive culture of employment.

Similarly, we continue to work with the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR), an HMPPS-led group currently chaired by Greggs. This is a collective of local and national employers that provide training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders, including Greene King, Timpson, Marks & Spencer, Willmott Dixon and many more.

New Futures Network have also partnered with the Department for Education to raise awareness by featuring an employing prison leavers item on their business webpages: Find training and employment schemes for your business (education.gov.uk).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) HM Prison and Probation Service on steps to help increase the number of ex offenders in employment.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The proportion of prison leavers in employment six months after their release has more than doubled in the two years to March 2023.

Ministers and officials across government already work together on measures to support ex-offenders into work and reduce reoffending. A National Partnership Agreement between Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, and Department for Work and Pensions sets out how we jointly support prisoners in custody to prepare for employment on release and ensure prison leavers continue to access support in the community to obtain work.

Prison Employment Hubs have increased in number providing a space where offenders can get much needed support into work. DWP provides around 200 Prison Work Coaches who work alongside Prison Employment Leads and other prison services to provide employment and training support before release. The New Futures Network and DWP’s National Employment and Partnership Team broker relationships with employers helping them understand the advantages to their business of employing ex-offenders. The Government has also recently changed rehabilitation periods to help reduce barriers to employment for ex-offenders.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the provision of safe housing to women leaving prison on levels of (a) reoffending and (b) safety of those women.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

We remain committed to the Female Offender Strategy, which provides the framework to deliver better outcomes for female offenders, recognising the distinct needs of this cohort. We are working across MoJ, HMPPS and wider government to provide a gender-specific, trauma-informed service and reduce reoffending. This includes £15m investment until 2025 in community services to deliver wraparound support to women in the criminal justice system, acknowledging the complex array of issues female offenders particularly face.

Effective resettlement of prison leavers is a core part of our efforts to reduce reoffending. This includes making sure women have a home, family links where appropriate, access to healthcare, a job or further education, and/or access to benefits.

Evidence shows that prison leavers without settled accommodation are almost 50% more likely to reoffend compared to those with settled accommodation. That is why we have developed the transitional accommodation service, known as Community Accommodation Service – Tier 3 (CAS3), which provides up to 12 weeks accommodation on release from prison. We are ensuring that a minimum 10% of beds delivered through CAS3 are allocated to women in women-only properties so that they feel safe, especially those with backgrounds of abuse.

To provide continuity of healthcare, we are recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide who will liaise between prisons, probation, and local health partners. We are also expanding the availability of secure video calling, so prison leavers can meet community providers before release. In addition, the new National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England, published in February 2023, sets out a shared priority workplan to deliver safe, decent and effective care, including substance misuse and mental health treatment, that improves health outcomes for people after their release. NHS England’s continued investment in their RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with mental health and substance misuse needs, as well as other vulnerabilities.

In terms of employment, in every women’s prison we have recruited dedicated Prison Employment Leads (PELs) to match prisoners to jobs on release, rolled out onsite Employment Hubs, recruited ID and Banking administrators, and established Employment Advisory Boards (EABs) which link prisons with industry advisors. Lastly, the New Futures Network, who works with over 400 organisations to source employment opportunities and provide jobs training, have a dedicated broker for the women’s estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to (a) provide women with jobs on leaving prison and (b) help women to transition into work.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

We remain committed to the Female Offender Strategy, which provides the framework to deliver better outcomes for female offenders, recognising the distinct needs of this cohort. We are working across MoJ, HMPPS and wider government to provide a gender-specific, trauma-informed service and reduce reoffending. This includes £15m investment until 2025 in community services to deliver wraparound support to women in the criminal justice system, acknowledging the complex array of issues female offenders particularly face.

Effective resettlement of prison leavers is a core part of our efforts to reduce reoffending. This includes making sure women have a home, family links where appropriate, access to healthcare, a job or further education, and/or access to benefits.

Evidence shows that prison leavers without settled accommodation are almost 50% more likely to reoffend compared to those with settled accommodation. That is why we have developed the transitional accommodation service, known as Community Accommodation Service – Tier 3 (CAS3), which provides up to 12 weeks accommodation on release from prison. We are ensuring that a minimum 10% of beds delivered through CAS3 are allocated to women in women-only properties so that they feel safe, especially those with backgrounds of abuse.

To provide continuity of healthcare, we are recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide who will liaise between prisons, probation, and local health partners. We are also expanding the availability of secure video calling, so prison leavers can meet community providers before release. In addition, the new National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England, published in February 2023, sets out a shared priority workplan to deliver safe, decent and effective care, including substance misuse and mental health treatment, that improves health outcomes for people after their release. NHS England’s continued investment in their RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with mental health and substance misuse needs, as well as other vulnerabilities.

In terms of employment, in every women’s prison we have recruited dedicated Prison Employment Leads (PELs) to match prisoners to jobs on release, rolled out onsite Employment Hubs, recruited ID and Banking administrators, and established Employment Advisory Boards (EABs) which link prisons with industry advisors. Lastly, the New Futures Network, who works with over 400 organisations to source employment opportunities and provide jobs training, have a dedicated broker for the women’s estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to provide community based substance misuse and mental health services for women leaving prison.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

We remain committed to the Female Offender Strategy, which provides the framework to deliver better outcomes for female offenders, recognising the distinct needs of this cohort. We are working across MoJ, HMPPS and wider government to provide a gender-specific, trauma-informed service and reduce reoffending. This includes £15m investment until 2025 in community services to deliver wraparound support to women in the criminal justice system, acknowledging the complex array of issues female offenders particularly face.

Effective resettlement of prison leavers is a core part of our efforts to reduce reoffending. This includes making sure women have a home, family links where appropriate, access to healthcare, a job or further education, and/or access to benefits.

Evidence shows that prison leavers without settled accommodation are almost 50% more likely to reoffend compared to those with settled accommodation. That is why we have developed the transitional accommodation service, known as Community Accommodation Service – Tier 3 (CAS3), which provides up to 12 weeks accommodation on release from prison. We are ensuring that a minimum 10% of beds delivered through CAS3 are allocated to women in women-only properties so that they feel safe, especially those with backgrounds of abuse.

To provide continuity of healthcare, we are recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide who will liaise between prisons, probation, and local health partners. We are also expanding the availability of secure video calling, so prison leavers can meet community providers before release. In addition, the new National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England, published in February 2023, sets out a shared priority workplan to deliver safe, decent and effective care, including substance misuse and mental health treatment, that improves health outcomes for people after their release. NHS England’s continued investment in their RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with mental health and substance misuse needs, as well as other vulnerabilities.

In terms of employment, in every women’s prison we have recruited dedicated Prison Employment Leads (PELs) to match prisoners to jobs on release, rolled out onsite Employment Hubs, recruited ID and Banking administrators, and established Employment Advisory Boards (EABs) which link prisons with industry advisors. Lastly, the New Futures Network, who works with over 400 organisations to source employment opportunities and provide jobs training, have a dedicated broker for the women’s estate.

Found: • Working with New Futures Network to expand our employers’ network.

Found: • The Prison Employment Lead will work with New Futures Network colleagues to identify additional

Found: Across Government the team have engaged with the Ministry of Justice, in particular the New Futures

Found: • Working with New Futures Network to expand our employers’ network.

Found: • The Prison Employment Lead will work with New Futures Network colleagues to identify additional

Found: Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23 | Accountability reportFinancial statementsPerformance report New

Found: Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23 | Accountability reportFinancial statementsPerformance report New