When an offender has completed their punishment and is released from prison we need to make sure they’ve turned their life around and are ready to take on meaningful employment and to contribute to society.
Andy Carter MP recently visited HMP Thorn Cross to meet business leaders, their Governor, prison staff and former inmates to learn more about the work going on at Thorn Cross to get offenders into work on release and out of the spiral of crime to reduce reoffending.
It is good to see many local businesses taking part in these discussions including Timpson - the UK’s largest shoe repairer, key cutter and watch repairer. It was helpful to talk to their MD James Timpson about his 2,400-strong workforce which includes ex-offenders who trained at the company’s prison workshops in Appleton Thorn.
Andy also spoke to former residents of HMP Thorn Cross who’ve left prison, found jobs and in some cases started businesses who are now also employing former offenders.
