Bank Accounts Reduce Re-offending
Inmates at a prison in Greater Manchester are being given a bank account in an effort to steer them away from crime when they are released. Reported by The BBC.
In the past year re-offending rates for those with access to a bank at Forest Bank prison in Salford have been cut by a third, research showed.
Paul Jones, of Liverpool John Moores University, who conducted the study said it helped them back into society. “If it’s difficult to settle, there’s more chance they will offend,” he said.
“When a prisoner is released, the vital things for re-settlement like a job, securing a place on an education course, finding a house are all blocked by not having a bank account.
“It might seem like a small detail but it has had a massive impact on the chances of those re-offending.”
A former prisoner, who wants to be known only as James, had a drug problem which resulted in him being in and out of prison.
“It was a disaster really, once I lost the job and the house, it was a quick spiral into misery; you end up taking drugs and I was homeless for a good couple of years.”
By the time he went to Forest Bank prison for the last time he was living in a squat with his girlfriend, dependent on benefits cheques sent to ‘care-of’ addresses.
“This time though, when I got the bank account it was a good thing really, it got me somewhere to live and a job.” James has not re-offended since his release last year.
The scheme, set up by Co-operative Bank, is now being rolled out to other prisons in England. A Prison Service spokesman said: “It is important for the resettlement of prisoners that they can access such facilities as many jobs require a bank account for the payment of salaries, and employment is a key driver in reducing re-offending.
“The importance of employment in reducing re-offending is well recognised, and improving opportunities for offenders is a key priority.”
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