Why should I consider employing people who have a history of offending?

To address this question we should consider:

• The cost of crime to business
• The cost of crime to society
• What is an offender?
• Why employment can make such a difference
• What’s in it for you?
• How can the Aspire project help?

Crime is estimated to cost business around £19 billion a year. The cost of re-offending by ex-prisoners is estimated to be £11 billion a year. The cost of convicting an offender is estimated to be around £30,000 (Police, Probation, Courts, Crown Prosecution Service, Prison Service, Legal Aid etc.). The cost of a custodial sentence is around £40,000 per year. Many of our prisoners are prolific offenders (the 10% of offenders who commit 50% of crime). Because their offending is so prolific, they will probably receive a custodial sentence, but because it is not relatively serious (car crime, shop theft, criminal damage etc), they it will probability be short, i.e., less than a year, They will automatically be released at the half-way point of their sentence, probably much earlier than that on Home Detention Curfew (tagging), making it difficult to engage them in any meaningful rehabilitative work. In Britain we incarcerate more people than any other European nation (currently just over 80,000 prisoners), yet we know that people who serve custodial sentences are more likely to re-offend than those who serve community based sentences.

Who are these individuals?  What is an 'offender'?

Over 5 million people, one fifth of the working population, have a criminal record. Around one in three men have been convicted of an offence by the age of 40. But only a tiny percentage of crime, less than 10%, ends in a criminal conviction.

The majority of the people we work with have a history of repeat offending. They have got themselves into a pattern of behaviour which ends up in them breaking the law. Predominantly their offending will be linked to:

• Accommodation problems
• Education, Training and employment
• Drugs and alcohol
• Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
• Peer influences
• Finance, benefit and debt

We know that if we concentrate our efforts in these areas we are likely to reduce re-offending rates, for example offenders who are employed are up to 50% less likely to re-offend. Accommodation issues have a similar impact.

So by working with Aspire you can help to reduce the impact of crime on business, including your business. By providing mentors you can develop your staff, their communication skills, life experience, work satisfaction and potential.

Given the right opportunity and support, people can change their way of life, for some that change will mean going from causing massive costs to society to being a valuable contributor and a net consumer. By employing an offender you can provide a real opportunity to help an individual boost their confidence and encourage their potential, helping them turn their life around, doesn’t that sound like it could be a rewarding experience? But it’s not just a one-way benefit. Other employers who work with offenders describe them as “conscientious, reliable and punctual; hard workers who just get on with their work and want to be treated the same as other employees”. 85% of employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties due to skills shortages and lack of experience, you can fill these shortages while helping to reduce re-offending, a great example of Corporate Social Responsibility in action.

The Aspire project is a key partner in the criminal justice system. By engaging with us you will have access to professionally qualified staff, the individuals we work with are fully risk assessed, they have a written support plan and guaranteed support network. We can provide training to employers and potential mentors.

To find out more about how your business could benefit from employing ex-offenders contact:

aspire@saferlondonfoundation.org
020 7202 8512