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Ex-Prisoners Study: An
Exploratory Investigation into Links Between the Criminal Justice
System, Jobcentre Services and the Labour Market
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) to undertake this exploratory study to gain an in-depth understanding of the attitudes and expectations of prisoners immediately prior to and following their release from prison. It also aimed to gain an understanding of their views on the impact of support services on the decisions they made and experiences following release. More specifically, the research explored:
- ex-prisoners’ attitudes to and expectations of work, their interactions with the labour market, the barriers they experienced in relation to work and how these changed over time;
- ex-prisoners’ interactions with and views of service providers, such as Jobcentre Plus, and the extent to which service provision is integrated across agencies; and
- the relationship between crime, employment and unemployment.
The findings of this research will inform Jobcentre Plus and other agencies’ thinking about how the way in which they provide their services to ex-prisoners could improve employment outcomes and reduce the risk of re-offending. It also provides contextual information as a necessary prior step to more evaluative research on the impact of employment support programmes on this client group.
Methodology
The research was conducted across four case study areas, two in England and one each in Wales and Scotland. The main component of the research design was a qualitative longitudinal study of 40 prisoners about to be released from prison. Prisoners were interviewed prior to release and again at three months and six months post-release. To provide a wider context to the research, interviews with staff from key service providers and focus groups with ex-prisoners participating in progress2work-LinkUP were also conducted.
Project Team
Project team: Yvette Hartfree, Chris Dearden, Elspeth Pound, Alan France and Nicola Selby.
Sponsor: Department for Work and Pensions.
Related Publications
Hartfree, Y., Dearden, C. and Pound, E., (2008) High Hopes: supporting ex-prisoners in their lives after prison, Department for Work and Pensions Research Report 509.
Hartfree, Y., Dearden, C. and Pound, E. (2010) 'Plugging the Prisoner Finance Gap: A Critical Analysis of Financial Support for Newly-Released Prisoners', The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 31-44.
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