Geezah
12-15-2005, 11:35 AM
Jobcentres will be told to prioritise finding work for criminals under new Government plans.
A new points system will be created as part of a wide-ranging new scheme to reduce re-offending, which currently costs Britain an estimated £11 billion a year.
Jobcentre workers will be awarded maximum points on a 12-point scale if they place an ex-offender in work, including ex-convicts.
Getting employment for a disabled person, lone parents or other people in the "hardest to help" category will also carry maximum points.
Offenders in jail and in the community will also be offered "employability contracts" with incentives such as a guaranteed job interview if they follow an education or training course and work hard.
Criminals who break the contract could be punished by being paid lower rates for prison work, or by being denied extra visits by family and friends in jail.
A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "Jobcentres will have performance targets to place offenders in jobs.
"They will score highly on placing offenders in jobs. There will be a 12-point scale and included in that category you would have people with a disability and lone parents.
"Offenders are extremely difficult to get into jobs so I would expect them to be in the hardest to help category."
Minister for Skills Phil Hope denied that the proposal would mean discriminating against other jobless people.
Link (http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/PA_NEWA1796271134644613A00?source=PA%20Feed)
I'm not sure if I like the idea of this, seeing as most carrer criminals couldn't give a toss about working a 9-5.....
A new points system will be created as part of a wide-ranging new scheme to reduce re-offending, which currently costs Britain an estimated £11 billion a year.
Jobcentre workers will be awarded maximum points on a 12-point scale if they place an ex-offender in work, including ex-convicts.
Getting employment for a disabled person, lone parents or other people in the "hardest to help" category will also carry maximum points.
Offenders in jail and in the community will also be offered "employability contracts" with incentives such as a guaranteed job interview if they follow an education or training course and work hard.
Criminals who break the contract could be punished by being paid lower rates for prison work, or by being denied extra visits by family and friends in jail.
A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "Jobcentres will have performance targets to place offenders in jobs.
"They will score highly on placing offenders in jobs. There will be a 12-point scale and included in that category you would have people with a disability and lone parents.
"Offenders are extremely difficult to get into jobs so I would expect them to be in the hardest to help category."
Minister for Skills Phil Hope denied that the proposal would mean discriminating against other jobless people.
Link (http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/PA_NEWA1796271134644613A00?source=PA%20Feed)
I'm not sure if I like the idea of this, seeing as most carrer criminals couldn't give a toss about working a 9-5.....