It is through a variety of sources of data – ranging from official statistics to day-to-day engagement with our members (care meetings, the Quarterly Economic Survey, policy fora) – that we know recruitment, retention and staff development are amongst the top priorities faced.
Companies across the region are looking to recruitment and retention in increasingly diverse ways. One of those potential avenue’s is through the employment of ex-offenders.
Upon release from prison, offenders are released on licence, whereby regular & structured contact is mandated with a supervising officer. People on licence can be recalled at any time, with data from September 2023, suggesting that the recall prison population passed 12,000.
In the North East, there is a proven re-offending rate of 29.9%, compared to the national rate of 24.1% (2020 data). Within the North East, the Probation service has a caseload of approx. 12,625 cases (March 2022), including those serving sentences across 7 prisons in the North East.
We also know that around 600 people leave prison into homelessness every month, including being released on a Friday with nothing more than a discharge grant of £76 and a tent.
