Going straight – to the Work Programme – suits some prison leavers more than others

It is common sense – supported by research – that if an ex-prisoner gets a job soon after release, they are far less likely to reoffend. And equally it has long been the case that employment support for ex-prisoners in the UK has been patchy, with prison leavers often getting little or no employment support until well after release – by which time, of course, lack of income and other factors associated with non-employment may already have led to reoffending.

This was the primary motivation for the introduction, in March 2012, of mandatory referral to the Work Programme for prison leavers. Our evaluation, published this week by the DWP, shows that the programme is effective in speeding up access to benefits among prison leavers; this is an unalloyed benefit. However, prison leavers are a very diverse group; the mandatory employment support of the Work Programme suits some more than others. Additionally, there is little evidence Work Programme providers are tailoring their services to this group.

The research evaluated the referral of prison leavers who claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) to the Work Programme from the day they leave prison, known as Day One mandation. JSA prison leavers are defined as those who claim JSA in prison (which they are able to do up to 5 weeks prior to release) and those who claim within 13 weeks of release; and this defined referral time period appears to be an important component of the Work Programme experience for some prison leaver claimants.

To ensure that prisoners can be mandated from ‘day one’ DWP instituted advance pre-release claims in prisons. This system of advance claims, when processed efficiently, was generally seen as positive by claimants and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) staff who administer them in prisons. They are simpler and less time consuming than making claims post-release, and in some cases they have helped claimants avoid financial hardship. The latter seems particularly important with the removal of Crisis Loans in April 2013 (the current alternative is Local Welfare Provision available through Local Authorities rather than JCP). Prison leavers also sometimes lacked awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs) which are not advertised on the DWP website (Crisis Loans were). Therefore the facility to make advance JSA claims as part of Day One mandation appears to have been an positive addition to the claims process by helping to prevent delays in benefit claims and financial hardship for prison leavers.

The other important way in which the programme reduced delays is through immediate referral to the programme from release. Claimants expressed mixed views on the benefits of this. While some were ready to seek employment (and in this way the policy has successfully provided early employment support to these prison leavers) there were others who were not, due to the barriers they faced or because of the various demands they faced on release from custody. Prisoner leavers are a varied group; some of whom have extensive problems, such as mental health issues, substance misuse, innumeracy and illiteracy, and importantly on release many are in unstable or unsuitable housing, with others still being homeless. Some claimants reported that problems with accommodation made focusing on looking for work extremely difficult, and some found meeting the requirements of the Work Programme soon-after-release an additional worry in an already challenging period of their lives. To claim JSA individuals must be available for work, and the lack of work readiness due to long-standing and acute problems for a number of the group suggests that referral to other benefit routes, for example Employment Support Allowance, may be more appropriate for some prison leavers. Others could need extensive non-employment related support alongside the programme. Additionally, some may not be ready for work after completing the two years of the programme, though they may have moved closer to employment. Further information on issues related to supporting harder-to-help claimants are described in the evaluation report of the wider Work Programme.

However, there are prison leaver claimants who are ready and eager to work, and some who despite their barriers will benefit from the support given, and referral to the Work Programme does provide them with employment support soon-after-release. It might be expected that providers would tailor their approaches to meet the needs of this group, who face considerable barriers in seeking work, including employer attitudes. However, on the whole, Work Programme providers had not modified their overall model of support for prison leavers. One of the reasons given was the lower than expected referrals (and hence financial disincentives). Another was that they focus on individual needs (as opposed to group needs). There was however, evidence of greater ex-offender training and increased use of specialist ex-offender organisations by some providers. There was also some evidence of more tailored support for the group, with a greater likelihood of having one-to-one support and longer sessions with advisers. Some providers worked closely with the probation service which meant that information was shared and services could join-up their support for Day One claimants. One valuable form of support was given by providers who actively promoted their claimants with criminal records, and not just prison leavers, to employers. Employers can often have concerns about employing such individuals, and presenting their good qualities, which can often get ignored once the criminal record is known, is important. But such help, was labour intensive and not common. Claimants also appeared to value having good, trusting relationships with advisers when they existed, and this could help claimants discuss their criminal record.

In line with the ‘Work First’ approach in the Work Programme as a whole, the emphasis is on getting prison leavers into work. Although this is based on good evidence of the role that work has in reducing reoffending, it had its downsides. Some claimants reported feeling pushed towards jobs they were not keen on and not being given assistance for ones they were interested in. There was also limited funding for vocational training, and some prison leavers could not finish courses they had started in prison. Paid-for-training was often limited to situations where there was a job offer. Despite such problems, around three-quarters of claimants found the different types of support they received very or fairly useful in helping them find work or move closer to work (the exceptions were the standard Work Programme fare of skills assessments, action plans and work experience or voluntary work). Around 55 per cent of respondents found help with housing, or a session on motivation or confidence very useful, both very important services for individuals who have lost their home or self-esteem through custody. Skills assessments, action plans and work experience or voluntary work had the lowest proportions of respondents reporting them to be very useful (33, 35 and 39 per cent respectively).

The findings suggest that, while it may be important for prison leavers to find work quickly, the standard Work Programme offer is just not enough for a proportion of this group. Many need to get their lives back to normal, to find housing and to adjust to life outside of prison; meaning that involvement in the Work Programme soon-after-release can be complicated and an additional pressure. And where individuals have extensive barriers it is crucial that Work Programme providers do adequately tailor their support to address claimants’ needs. Additionally, it is important to consider whether some prison leavers would be better served by addressing their barriers prior to having to seek work.