3 March 2022 – John Murphy, CEO of J. Murphy & Sons Ltd (“Murphy” or “the Group”), is one of dozens of top business leaders from across England and Wales who is spearheading a drive to get prison leavers into stable jobs so they can break the cycle of crime, it was announced today.
John Murphy is chairing an Employment Advisory Board (EAB) at HMP Berwyn. The board is a link between the jail and employers, making sure that offenders use their time in prison to gain the skills and links to the job opportunities they need to head straight into stable work upon release.
This is crucial in tackling the £18 billion cost of reoffending, cutting crime and boosting public protection, as ex-offenders in steady jobs within six months of leaving prison are nine percentage points less likely to commit further crime.
EABs will be up and running in all 91 ‘resettlement’ prisons in England and Wales by April 2023. In a survey, 90 per cent of employers who have taken on ex-offenders say they are “motivated, reliable, good at their job and trustworthy”.
John Murphy, chair of HMP Berwyn’s Employment Advisory Board and CEO of J Murphy & Sons Limited, said: “Bringing our expertise to the prison and helping to provide opportunities which encourage people to turn their backs on crime is highly rewarding.
“I strongly urge other construction industry employers to follow Murphy’s lead and get on board this extremely valuable programme. Ex-offenders offer companies a valuable employment stream and a potential driver of their economic growth. Our programme shifts the focus onto upskilling offenders while they are still in the prison system, ensuring they are ready to move straight into stable work when released, breaking the cycle of crime.
“A criminal record should not be an obstacle to succeeding in life.”
The scheme was officially launched by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab during a visit to HMP Wandsworth’s EAB this week.
Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab MP, said: “Getting prison leavers into work is a formula that works. It reduces the chance of reoffending – cutting crime and making the public safer.
“It's a true win-win, allowing us to boost public protection and save the taxpayer money, while providing the reliable staff businesses need to drive the British economy.”
EABs are chaired by business experts from companies such as J Murphy & Sons Limited, performance car manufacturer Lotus, and business services provider Sodexo. They work with prisons to ensure they understand what employers want so offenders have the right skills and links to job opportunities on release.
This ensures training programmes and prison workshops are geared to local employment needs and that offenders can access a vibrant business network as they prepare for release.
As part of the Prisons White Paper published last December, the Government has committed to investing £200 million per year by 2023 on reducing reoffending, including on prison leaver employment schemes. Initiatives to be funded include the roll out of prison employment leads to all resettlement prisons who will work closely with the specialist employment team in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the New Futures Network.