Call for extensive rehabilitation for offenders applauded

1.17.44pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Sep 2008

Liz made her comments during a debate on cutting crime at conference

Prospective Lib Dem MP for Meon Valley Liz Leffman's call for much more support and rehabilitation for people coming out of prison and back into public life was roundly applauded by party delegates during her speech at the Lib Dem conference on Sunday.

Liz was speaking in favour of an amendment to the original policy proposals, part of the Liberal Democrats' Cutting Crime by Catching Criminals plan, as they referred only to offering ex-offenders "access to education and training" while in prison as opposed to full rehabilitation.

"Simply offering access to education and training does not go far enough. People need to be extensively prepared to resettle back into work and life to limit the chances of re-offending," Liz said.

"With more compulsory work and training whilst in prison, then guidance once they are released, people will return to the community with aims and goals instead of simply returning to their old ways."

Liz also believes rehabilitated offenders should not be discriminated against when trying to filter back into public life.

"After receiving the support of staff and mentors before and after release, offenders need to be given an opportunity to prove themselves in the workplace," she said, after giving an example known to her of a young man working voluntarily in a charity shop who was offered a job, only to have it withdrawn when the shop discovered he had a criminal record.

NOTES:

Liz was speaking on the subject due to her work as chair of the Kairos Foundation, which carries out prison training in the US, and her experience as a mentor for the Princes Trust working with ex-offenders.