Nearly 60% of companies in the East look to hire ex-offenders
It's as new research shows they're struggling to fill vacancies
Nearly 60% of companies in the East are looking to hire ex-offenders to fill vacancies.
This is according to research done by Sodexo and the Oswin project.
The research shows almost half (49%) of businesses in the East of England are finding it difficult to fill in excess of 10 current vacancies.
Nigel Seaman, founder of Combat 2 Coffee, has previously worked in prisons, and has hired ex-offenders within his business.
He believes it's important that everyone gets a fresh start in life: "It's about second chances, because yes, people do make mistakes.
"If you can change two, three, four people's lives" it's worth it, he said.
What is it like to work with ex-offenders?
Based on his experience, Nigel told us what it was like to work with ex-offenders.
"They tend to go above and beyond, especially when they start employment because it's about that second chance and that opportunity.
"But we try and ... continue the sequence. We get them to another employer because if you can give someone a working history, ... what they've done is put something on their CV.
"We've had an example where someone got a job at Starbucks" after working at Combat 2 Coffee, he said.
Helping victims and offender's families
According to Nigel, some prisons use offender employment schemes to support victims too.
"An open prison allows resettlement and work in the community. There's a fund run by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) which allows money to go back towards victims and victim care.
"The governor decides and establishes what percentage of their (the offender's) wage they put back into that fund - it's anything from 15%-40% of their wage."
So, "if you earn £100 a week and the governor decided £40 of that had to go back to victim surcharge, then that's as clear as day.
"It allows people to earn some extra money and sometimes if they've got family they can send money home. This means their family do not become an indirect victim of the crime."
Saving money
According to Nigel, helping to rehabilitate ex-offenders means they are less likely to return to prison, eliminating the costs that come with that.
"You'll be saving police time in the community because they won't have to follow up.
"You'll be saving probation time because you ... won't have to take them back to custody.
"It also saves court time for the magistrates and solicitors", he said.
"Think about the savings you're creating ... It far outweighs what has been invested into (helping) them."