http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/summ2007-2008/509summ.pdf
The study was based in four case study areas
covering England, Scotland and Wales. The
fieldwork commenced in September 2005 and
was completed in May 2007. It involved:
• three waves of in-depth interviews with 40
male prisoners, immediately before and twice
after release over a period of six months;
• interviews with service providers (i.e.
Employment and Benefit Surgery advisers
and housing/homeless agencies); and
• focus groups with progress2work-LinkUP
clients with offending backgrounds
Page 1
Research Summary
High hopes: Supporting ex-prisoners in their lives
after prison
By Yvette Hartfree, Chris Dearden and Elspeth Pound
Download this and other research reports free from
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp
Jobcentre Plus delivers a number of initiatives
targeted at prisoners and ex-prisoners that are
designed to promote re-integration into the
community and reduce re-offending. Initiatives
include Freshstart
1
appointments; Employment
and Benefit Surgeries; progress2work-LinkUP
2
;
and early entry on to New Deal programmes.
This study was commissioned to gain an in-
depth understanding of the attitudes and
expectations of prisoners immediately before
and following their release from prison. It
explored:
• ex-prisoners’ attitudes to and expectations of
work;
• their interactions with the labour market;
• the barriers they experience in relation to
work and how these change over time;
• their interactions with and views of service
providers, such as Jobcentre Plus;
• the extent to which service provision is
integrated across agencies; and
• the relationship between crime and
employment
