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Released Prisoners to be forced straight onto Work Programme


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Of course, this policy attracts good headlines for the failing Work Programme (WP). Which is its main aim.

 

The WP passes all financial risk to the provider organisations, such as A4e, to carry out the work of the WP. These providers are struggling to find jobs for ordinary unemployed people, never mind ex-offenders. Poor WP results will only get worse thanks to this new initiative.

 

A leaked internal A4e document came to light recently that showed very poor performance on the WP, indicating that the proportion of individuals A4e is responsible for who have managed to find a job is just 8.4 per cent overall. The DWP has set a target of 36 per cent of those referred to companies such as A4e to be secured a job for at least 26 weeks.

 

The percentage of those who secured a job and have managed to hold on to that job through A4e for 26 weeks is a tiny 1.9%. A4e, of course, have denied this and threatened legal action against any site that publishes the report. If you speak to anybody about it do so in hushed tones, or A4e might get wind.

 

The WP is seriously flawed. Ex-offenders being sent on to it 9 months early is probably the best publicity the entire scheme will ever get. Period. For when the results are released in October they will be almost entirely negative, according to a number of insiders in the Welfare To Work industry...

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Mmmm, back in the real world!

 

The real world is that ex-prisoners who can get income from elsewhere will probably do so, and there is a high chance they may be re-offending to get that income.

 

I think there is a big risk this policy will have the opposite consequences to what is intended.

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Nobody is forced to claim JSA. It is not compulsory to do so.

 

Are you really suggesting that people have a choice because rather than claim JSA the vast majority that don't have work as soon as they leave prison can choose to starve, work as slaves or make a living from crime? Great choices!!

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For ex-prisoners who claim JSA. Not all ex-prisoners claim JSA. There is no compulsion for them to do so.

 

Oh, so.... there is a release condition that if you don't have provable means to support yourself then you are subject to this scheme.

 

 

Satisfied???

 

 

But the condition is tested against all soon to be released, and in the majority of cases it will apply! As I said, daft semantics...

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The real world is that ex-prisoners who can get income from elsewhere will probably do so, and there is a high chance they may be re-offending to get that income.

 

I think there is a big risk this policy will have the opposite consequences to what is intended.

 

So you're saying this policy will make more released convicts re-commit offences, you are off your head, put down your pint and go to bed!

 

 

p.s. i'm off for an hour or so... :wave:

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Are you really suggesting that people have a choice because rather than claim JSA the vast majority that don't have work as soon as they leave prison can choose to starve, work as slaves or make a living from crime? Great choices!!

 

No, what I'm saying is that people who have been sent to prison for gaining their income by offending are more likely to return to that pattern of offending than working for nothing.

 

The threat of having to work for free may lead other prisoners down similar paths - no better school of crime than a prison ;)

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Oh, so.... there is a release condition that if you don't have provable means to support yourself then you are subject to this scheme.

 

 

Satisfied???

 

 

But the condition is tested against all soon to be released, and in the majority of cases it will apply! As I said, daft semantics...

 

The sentence is not being extended. Referral to the work programme is not intended to be a punishment. No semantics. Just plain facts.

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Given the DWP's current reluctance to publish even the most fundamental overview of Work Programme performance to date, we can be assured that this ex-offender announcement is simply a distraction tactic aimed at the Tory sheep...

 

Work Progamme failing? Of course its not failing! Now we are sending ex-prisoners to it as well! Hard labour and chain gangs!

 

Tory? Baaaaaaah!

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