Excellent new article kindly provided by Sid Madge, founder of Meee, and author of the ‘Meee in a Minute’ books. In this article Sid explores the path to reducing reoffending through greater education, employment and community support.
Under Rishi Sunak, the Conservative government released more than 10,000 inmates to ease some of the logistical strain on prisons. The current government has its own scheme. It was a temporary quick fix in 2023, and it is a temporary quick fix now.
There are around 100,000 prisoners in UK jails and, based on current crime trends, the country’s prison population is expected to grow even further in the coming years. Many of these individuals leave prison (early or not) with little to no prospects, returning to environments where crime seems like the only option to survive. A relatively small percentage of ex-offenders—estimated at around 17%—are in employment following their release, and the consequences of this are profound, not just for the individuals involved but for society as a whole.
Stories have emerged of released prisoners reoffending, sometimes within hours of their release, throwing into question the adequacy of current rehabilitation programmes and risk assessments. However, this concern is part of a much broader discussion that involves not only public safety but the question of how to prepare ex-offenders for a life outside of crime.
Can labour help Labour?
The UK is facing a significant labour shortage, with a lost workforce of over six million people, according to research conducted for Tesco. Approximately 14% of Britain’s working-age population is jobless but would like to join the workforce. This shortage costs the UK economy a staggering £455 billion, and employers are struggling to fill vacancies across various sectors.
Meanwhile, the ex-offender population represents a largely untapped workforce. If given the right tools—through education, skills development, and vocational training—these individuals could help alleviate some of the country’s labour shortages. It’s a win-win scenario: ex-offenders gain employment, reducing their likelihood of reoffending, and the economy benefits from an expanded workforce.
However, to achieve this, we need a systemic change in how we approach the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners. Currently, too few rehabilitation programmes focus on upskilling prisoners to meet the demands of the modern labour market. Prison education and training are woefully underfunded, and opportunities for prisoners to learn new skills that would make them employable are limited. This needs to change if we are to break the cycle of incarceration and reoffending.
Rehabilitation: a shared responsibility
Prison rehabilitation cannot be left solely to the prison system. Rehabilitation is a shared responsibility, one that involves businesses, communities, and individuals. Employers, for instance, need to reconsider their hiring practices and policies toward ex-offenders. Too many businesses are hesitant to hire individuals with a criminal record, even when those individuals have proven their desire to reintegrate and contribute to society.
By offering ex-offenders a second chance, through apprenticeships, mentoring programmes, or simply job opportunities, businesses can play a pivotal role in reducing reoffending rates.
Community support is also crucial, as ex-offenders need strong support networks that encourage them to stay on the right path. In the absence of these networks, many fall back into old habits, leading to more crime, more victims, and a perpetuation of the cycle.
Education must also be at the heart of rehabilitation. Upskilling prisoners not only gives them practical tools to reintegrate into society but also helps rebuild their sense of self-worth and purpose. The more we can do to prepare prisoners for life beyond bars, the less likely they are to reoffend. This isn’t just about training them for jobs, although that’s critical, but also about teaching them how to be part of a community again.
The cost of doing nothing
The cost of not addressing these issues is high. The UK currently spends approximately £5 billion annually on its prison system, and reoffending adds another £18 billion to that figure each year. But these numbers don’t even begin to capture the human cost – the lives ruined by crime, the families broken apart, and the communities destabilised by persistent criminal activity.
Then there’s the cost to victims of crime. Every time an ex-offender reoffends, it’s not just a failure of the individual, it’s a failure of the system that was meant to rehabilitate them. Victims are left with a sense of injustice, anger, and fear. When we don’t get rehabilitation right, we fail not only the ex-offender but the victims and society at large.
Restorative justice programmes, which allow offenders to make amends with their victims, are one way to begin addressing this. These programmes can give victims a voice in the rehabilitation process and help ex-offenders understand the impact of their actions. This kind of human-centred approach can be a powerful tool in breaking the cycle of crime and fostering a sense of accountability and empathy in offenders.
A future built on Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Reintegration
Ultimately, the future of our prisons, and of our society, depends on our ability to embrace a model of rehabilitation, restoration, and reintegration. This means investing in education and skills development, through programmes like ‘The Counting on Confidence Programme’, and support services that help prisoners become productive members of society. It means encouraging businesses to see the potential in ex-offenders rather than their past mistakes. And it means creating a community where everyone plays a role in ensuring that people leaving prison have a real chance at a new life.
An often-overlooked benefit of effective rehabilitation is its potential to break the generational cycle of crime within families. Research has shown that family members of prisoners, particularly siblings and children, are significantly more likely to follow similar paths. In fact, a study by the Ministry of Justice found that 63% of boys with a convicted father went on to offend themselves. By helping ex-offenders successfully reintegrate into society, through education, employment, and community support, they can become positive role models for their families. This influence can inspire relatives to avoid criminal behaviour, thereby reducing the likelihood of future generations entering the criminal justice system. Through this approach, rehabilitation not only transforms individual lives but can also have a far-reaching impact on reducing crime in entire communities.
Without intervention, the already strained resources in prisons will feel increased pressure and recidivism rates will worsen. We must do something—all of us—to change a system that neither rehabilitates nor adequately prepares offenders for reintegration into society.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sid Madge is the founder of Meee and the creator of the Counting on Confidence programme, designed to foster the belief that education and learning are vital for leading a more fulfilling and positive life. The programme meets prisoners at their current level, providing tailored learning paths to help them achieve foundational qualifications, such as literacy and numeracy. By the end of 2024, Meee will have worked with over 250 prisoners and 50 staff across three UK prisons, with 95% of participants rating the programme positively and 86.7% feeling more optimistic about their future.
Sid is also the author of the Meee in a Minute series, offering 60 simple, actionable ways to transform your life, work, or family life in just 60 seconds. Additionally, the My Meee app was developed to support both staff in their roles and prisoners upon release. It carries the Minute Philosophy of improving personal, work, and family life, providing users with tools and insights for lasting positive change.
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