The government has launched a report aiming to break the cycle of reoffending, by developing a stronger link between learning in prisons and the vocational and employability skills that employers require.

The review, carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), was launched yesterday by skills minister John Hayes at the Association of Colleges Offender Learning conference, and sees the government commit to:

·     Increase the range and relevance of learning, focusing on the skills employers need.

·     Support more work opportunities in prison.

·     Improve links with employers, ensuring where possible a relationship with employers has been established before release.

·     Boost activity to prepare prisoners for apprenticeship opportunities on release.

·     Focus learning delivery towards the end of prisoners’ sentences – linking it directly to needs in the labour market on release.

·     Reshape careers advice provided in custody.

·     Trial outcome incentive payments – giving colleges and training providers a greater stake in delivering learning successfully.

·     Restructure the delivery of offender learning around the clusters of prisons within which prisoners normally move – bringing more coherence to the system.

• The way learning is delivered in prisons will also be overhauled to better reflect the way the prison system is organised and improve value for money.

Hayes says: “Our goal is to make sure offenders understand there are viable alternatives to criminality. Rehabilitation through education works best when there is a strong link to meaningful work.

“I want to ensure that, for as many ex-offenders as possible, release is not followed by re-arrest, but by employment and re-integration into law-abiding society.

”We have ensured these reforms offer good value for the tax payer: money will go where it is most needed and will do most good.”