Available but Unused Armies for Productivity!
- There are two sizeable armies of ‘cheaper’ labour already available to UK public and private sector organisations before they resort to legal immigation for topping up their supply needs:
- A ‘Silver Army’ of recently retired people aged over 50 who would like to ‘put something back’ and work part-time advising and helping others climb ‘greasy-poles’ and be paid only modest amounts simply for recognition of their inputs – some join professional mentoring organisations to do this – most do not – we have posted about this army before
- A ‘Prison Army’ of people imprisoned for a wide range of offences, already here, most relatively young and fit, many available but unused – and all very costly
- Currently, prisons are hugely expensive ‘Universities of Crime’
- They mix relatively minor offenders with hardened criminals – the latter teach the former all they know for when they get out, enrol them for future help, recruit them to gangs
- Locked up for 23 hours a day, every day, with such inputs and without contact with family and friends, must soon deaden all hope for the future in all but the toughest
- What enthusiasm can result for their future when released?
- Little wonder nearly 100 commit suicide whilst inside each year
- At present, there are around 90,000 in UK prisons, also apparently hitting capacity levels:
- 96 % are male
- Around 75% are under 45 years of age
- 75% have no job waiting when released
- 30% not even a welcoming home
- And their CV has an indelible record
- It’s no surprise that recidivism is over 70%, once described as ‘ludicrous’ by the Justice Secretary
- Far more importantly, what’s the total cost, financial and mental, suffered by victims and their neighbours?
- Unquantifiable, not even estimated, so out of the headlines
- Given this dire picture, which has been ever-present for decades and more, it was good news to find that the new Labour government had appointed James Timpson as Minister for Prisons
- Extracts from an article by Simon Hattenstone in the Guardian provide important details:
- Timpson headed the Timpson’s chain, the largest UK employer of ex cons
- 10% of the Timpson workforce of 5,600 are ex prisoners
- Why?
- “To give people second chances – to help them believe that they can actually be good and decent people, and to be able to help out the community and just be seen as a normal person without having to worry about all their past dealings – is a great thing.”
- “Although they hire ex-offenders, they won’t bring back certain criminals – they have control of who they bring into the workforce so there’s no accidents or recurrences in the future”.
- Timpson himself says:
- Category A – 1/3 (30,000) of prisoners need to be there, unable to repeat their harm to the public – they deserve to be locked away for a very long time
- Category B – 1/3 (30,000) should be punished in other ways – they need some other kind of state support
- Category C – 1/3 (30,000) should not be punished at all – prison only makes their situation far worse:
- Prison is a disaster … it just puts them back in the offending cycle
- They are there because of mental health or substance abuse problems
- Or shop lifting to feed their kids
- The country is addicted to ‘sentencing and punishment’.
- The good news is Categories B & C prisoners offer a potential supply of labour by being given a second chance
- In return, employers can expect loyalty and gratitude, not least because ex-cons gain in self-esteem, confidence and hope by having a pathway to a worthy future and a means to pay their way
- Currently, there are major vacancies for them in several UK sectors including hospitality, retail, healthcare and agriculture
- The obvious advantages of employing them, on top of extra productive labour, include less crime, less recidivism, less pressure on prison capacity and so less need to build more, less court cases and less costs to the public purse
- Action needed – admittedly, from an outsiders view:
- Release all who qualify – offer some 100% freedom, some part-time, some ‘half-way’ to ‘open’ prisons
- Establish suitable training for selected prisoners – enrol them on apprenticeships, especially for skills the nation needs, so they can also earn a living when released
- Whilst ‘doing their time’, have some contribute towards community needs, especially those which local governments find difficult to fund such as pot-hole filling
- Train prison staff in new, more fulfilling roles for changing the lives of inmates
- Amend/ clean many prisoners’ CVs so as not to anchor them in a sea of crime
- Provide meaningful incentives for prisoners to better themselves
- Stop mixing all three categories of prisoner in the same prison
