‘Give ex convicts the opportunity to work’

Reducing barriers to the labour market for those leaving prison would assist employers to find new talent and help cut reoffending, a conference has heard.

The seminar, entitled Working with Conviction and organised by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), also heard that finding the right staff is an increasing challenge for employers, and that suitable candidates who have convictions tend to show increased loyalty once in a job.

A keynote speech at the event was given by James Timpson, the chief executive of the UK-based Timpson Limited, which employs more than 400 people with convictions, including those who have served prison sentences.

The seminar was told that 10% of those 400 were recruited directly from prisons, and that of those who began work on day release from jail, 97% stayed on to work in the longer term with the company.

In Ireland, the Irish Association for the Social Integration of Offenders (IASIO) held a seminar in the old St Patrick’s Institute for Young Offenders in Mountjoy last May, in which 60 inmates met with representatives of nine employers.

Paddy Richardson, the IASIO chief executive, said four people were offered jobs by three companies on the day while up to nine people were offered the chance of future employment.

Mr Richardson said: “This was bringing the mountain to Mohammed. We wanted to bring employers in to break down stereotypical views of prisoners.”

He said he hopes that future events could take place involving those on probation, as many of those with a conviction are not “work ready” when they left prison.

Mr Richardson also said there should not be a “blanket ban” on those who have been in prison seeking employment, echoing the views of IPRT acting director Fiona Ní Chinnéide.

Many companies at the application stage, or at interview, ask if the applicant has a criminal conviction. Ms Ní Chinnéide said this should be asked at the point when the job is being offered, rather than at an earlier stage, while Mr Richardson said: “To have people look beyond it is not to present it in the first instance.”

Ms Ní Chinnéide said the Irish Prison Service had made significant efforts to increase the job readiness of inmates when they are in prison, but that due to some staff shortages, access to workshops and training schools has been curtailed in some cases.

She said that increasing the employability of someone with a criminal conviction could also break the “negative cycle” around offending: “Having a criminal conviction does not mean you are going to offend again. Not having a job or stable housing does increase the likelihood of offending again.”