Centre for Mental Health

Prisoners with mental health problems should not be excluded from help to find work, says Sainsbury Centre

2 September 2009

Prisoners with mental health problems are not getting the support they need to gain employment when they are released, according to a policy paper published today by Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

Securing employment for offenders with mental health problems finds that many prison-based work preparation schemes exclude prisoners with mental health problems because they are not thought to be ready for work.

It finds that most employment schemes for offenders place too much emphasis on learning skills and not enough on what actually helps people to get and keep jobs. Too few have direct links with local employers, offer support that continues 'through the gate' between prison and the community, or help people once they start work to stay there.

Sainsbury Centre employment programme director Dr Bob Grove said: "Only a third of released prisoners have a job or a place in training or education. Yet having a job is the single biggest factor in reducing reoffending. The vast majority of prisoners have mental health problems. Yet many are routinely excluded from vocational activities in prison because they are assumed not to be capable of working.

"This is a massive waste of human potential. Ineffective employment support inside and outside prison is leaving many thousands of people out of the labour market and at high risk of offending again."

Securing employment for offenders with mental health problems finds that some local schemes are developing promising new approaches. Some get prisoners into real work using Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) provisions. Others employ former offenders as life coaches or mentors.

It finds that many of the most successful schemes feature the core principles of Individual Placement and Support: the most effective approach to assisting people with mental health problems to get into work. They include direct links with local employers, support 'through the gate' that is sustained once a person gets a job, and help not just with employment but also health, housing and other needs.

It calls on the Government to shift the emphasis of its employment programmes for offenders from training and job preparation to helping people into paid employment. Offenders with mental health problems should be given an equal chance to participate in employment schemes, and get help for their health at the same time.

Bob Grove added: "We believe that the principles of Individual Placement and Support can be adapted to help many more offenders to make their lives better through employment. We will now develop and test ways of supporting offenders with mental health problems to find and remain in work, building on the existing evidence and best practice across the country."