RECAP Newsletter

Issue 41: July 2008                                             

Prisoners and  Employment – A job, the love of a good woman (or man) -  and an Accepting Community

What’s in the Newsletter

This week’s newsletter takes a closer look at the role of employment and training in the successful reintegration of prisoners into the community. It was just 2 ½ years ago that the Chief Ombudsman, the late John Belgrave, was highly critical of the lack of employment and training available to prisoners.

The Department of Corrections has made remarkable progress, in turning an unsatisfactory situation around. Increases in release to work, in employment and training, and partnership with industry, have resulted in a 10% increase in prisoners engaged in employment and training.

Research indicates that prisoners who find sustainable work on release are less likely to reoffend. The Department of Corrections approach provides prisoners with gainful work and training while in prison, equips them with good work habits, marketable skills, recognised qualifications and an entry into the market place on release.

Effective Reintegration - Supporting Prisoners with a ‘Second Chance’

Equipping prisoners with work skills, and good work habits, is just a start. The real challenge is to effectively reintegrate prisoners into the community. Despite the best efforts of the Department of Corrections to provide training and employment for prisoners, they will face a range of barriers and opposition to their involvement in civil society, once released. The government investment in job and skills training for prisoners needs to be matched by investment in a comprehensive reintegration strategy that will bring added value to the economy, by ensuring that ex-prisoners can hold their own in the workplace. Training for work needs to result in the recipient being supported in sustainable employment. That is the role of the community – but it needs the government to invest in capacity and capability building.

We look at a couple of community-based prisoner reintegration programmes – Operation Jericho and a new programme called ‘Target Communities’. The project is directed toward preparing communities to overcome their fear and reluctance to accept and support prisoners back into the community. Successful prisoner reintegration is a two way street – success is dependent on prisoners who are motivated to change – and a community that is willing to give them a second chance. Prison Fellowship has started to approach employers, the business community, schools, and sports and community organisations, within identifiable communities, in an effort to get the community actively engaged in making a difference to the crime rate.

Singapore’s Yellow Ribbon Project
One of the most effective community based projects is Singapore’s Yellow Ribbon Project. A country known for its punitive regime, the Yellow Ribbon project to the Singaporean’s makes good economic sense. It seeks to engage the community in giving ex-offenders a second chance at life. It hopes to inspire a ripple effect of concerted community action to support ex-offenders and their families. It has three goals, summed up in 3 A’s;

• Create Awareness of the need to give second chances to ex-offenders.
• Generate Acceptance of ex-offenders and their families in the community.
• Inspire community Action to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders.

The Yellow Ribbon Project is an example of a project which recognises that the community plays an important part in creating a stable social environment where amenable ex-offenders and their families can feel a sense of belonging and find the hope to start afresh. There is a need for a concerted and coordinated approach towards creating awareness, generating acceptance and inspiring action within the community to support rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders. The Yellow Ribbon Project was conceived to spread the message of offering forgiveness and second chances towards ex-offenders amongst the community.

The government has had considerable success with its social marketing strategies, in such areas as mental health awareness, domestic violence, and child abuse. A similar investment which promotes a ‘second chance’ for ex-prisoners makes sound economic sense.

In summary:

• We support the efforts of the Department of Corrections to increase employment and training in prisons;

• The government investment in job and skills training for prisoners needs to be matched by investment in a comprehensive reintegration strategy that will bring added value to the economy, by ensuring that ex-prisoners can hold their own in the workplace.

• There is a need for a concerted and coordinated approach towards creating awareness, generating acceptance and inspiring action within the community to support rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders.

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