UK Launches Employment Councils to Help Ex-Offenders Reintegrate into Workforce

The initiative aims to reduce reoffending rates by connecting former prisoners with stable jobs through partnerships with major companies and government agencies.

The UK government has created 11 regional Employment Councils to support ex-offenders in finding stable employment and reduce reoffending rates, which account for 80% of all crime.
Major companies, including Greggs, Iceland, Co-op, and National Highways, have committed to the initiative, offering training and job opportunities to former prisoners.
The councils will bring together employers, probation services, and the Department for Work and Pensions to provide a coordinated approach to offender rehabilitation and employment support.
Research shows ex-offenders employed within six weeks of release are more than twice as likely to avoid reoffending compared to those who remain unemployed.
The initiative builds on previous efforts by Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, who has championed hiring ex-offenders and emphasized addressing mental health and addiction issues in the justice system.