The Importance of Employment in Offender Rehabilitation

When people leave prison, finding employment can have a huge impact on whether they successfully re-enter society, or fall back into the cycle of recidivism. 

Jobs for ex-offenders are vitally important for rehabilitation, as they offer a stable routine, cultivate self-discipline, and provide vital financial support to help ex-prisoners become financially independent – without crime.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the importance of employment for offender rehabilitation, why it matters, and how we at Novus support our learners in finding jobs that will keep them on the path to success.

How does employment impact offender rehabilitation?

Each year in England and Wales, approximately 45,000 ex-offenders will return to society after their sentence. Around 17% of them will be unemployed, and around 23%-31% will reoffend within two years.

Employment is crucial for prisoner rehabilitation because it offers:

• Independence
• Status
• Earning power
• Structured routine
• Social contact
• Sense of purpose and direction
• Improved mental health
• Reintegration into society
• A life away from drugs and alcohol
• A life away from offending behaviour

Employment has a direct impact on reducing reoffending, cutting the amount of crime committed in our communities.

Novus’s role in prison rehabilitation programmes

As an organisation, we’ve met and worked with thousands of offenders.

For those of us who’ve worked in prison learning, the best outcome is to never see an offender again - and we mean that in the nicest possible way!

Reducing reoffending is what we’re all working towards; we don’t want to see offenders return to prison having committed further offences.

Our aim is to work with offenders in such a way that they learn not only from their mistakes but learn and develop the skills they need to succeed on their release.

 Finding jobs as an ex-offender can be challenging

 Finding a job after prison might sound easy, but it’s not.

It’s not easy for offenders, and it certainly isn’t something that organisations like Novus can achieve alone.

Reducing reoffending is a complex issue - one which requires many people working together to tackle, both from within the criminal justice system and beyond.

How employers contribute to offender rehabilitation programmes

We know that most employers want to do the right thing – for their business, their customers and for their employees.

They also have the chance to do the right thing for society and for their own community; they can open their doors to an ex-offender.

If we can better understand employer’s needs, we can work inside prisons to help offenders gain the skills they need before they’re released.

The average cost of recruiting 6 new hires is £3,000. By working with partner employers, we’re creating a recruitment pipeline that benefits everyone – employers, ex-offenders, and the community.

We also offer vocational training programmes to equip offenders with the specific skills needed by an employer, and this is already happening in industries from catering and hospitality to construction.

The benefits of recruiting ex-offenders

The chance to move into employment upon release is incredibly motivating for an offender, and it creates a sense of loyalty towards their future employer.

Giving someone a second chance after prison is paid back tenfold in hard work, reliability, and commitment.

Hiring ex-offenders also brings diversity into the workplace and shows other employees the values of their company - it’s an incredibly positive experience for everyone.

Employers may believe that ex-offenders lack soft skills such as honesty or reliability, but they’re usually proved wrong once they start working.

In fact, government research has shown that employers see the benefits of recruiting through the prison sector:

• 86% of employers record positive experiences with ex-offenders
• 86% say offenders settle into work well with colleagues
• 82% say offenders perform well

Finding employment for ex-offenders with Novus

At Novus, we know better than anyone how transformative employment for ex-offenders can be.

Having a stable working routine and income plays a big role in rehabilitating ex-prisoners – that's why we’re working to get as many people into employment after release as we can.

If you’re interested in becoming a partner employer, helping to rehabilitate ex-offenders, and supporting your community, contact us at Novus today!