Majority of employers would not offer employment to former prisoners

80% of employers interviewed by the University of Malta admitted they would never employ a former prison inmate. Half of those said they would only employ former inmates if there were some form of insurance or continuous surveillance. 

These statistics were provided at the launch of a re-integration project for prison inmates after their release. 

The project, entitled "Better Future: Promoting an Equal and Inclusive Labour Market," is managed by the Paola Local Council. This project will also be carried out in collaboration with the Corradino Correctional Facility, University of Malta, MCAST and the Education and Criminology departments.

"This project aims to enhance employability and productivity of inmates by providing a number of courses which prepares the inmate for re-integration after release. By increasing their academic and social skills through innovative courses and applied software, this project will contribute to the overall labour supply and promote life-long learning" mayor Roderick Spiteri said. 

English Language and Computer are among the courses offered. Other courses include tailoring, design, beauty and manual skills such as plumbing. These courses will start in the next scholastic year.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said this programme is an excellent opportunity to consolidate the correctional aspect in Corradino. "This educational programme will continue to provide another opportunity for the inmates to change their life once and for all. This is what a correctional facility should do," he said.

Home Affairs minister Manuel Mallia thanked the local council for this initiative, saying employment after release from prison is the highest level of re-integration for the inmates. "Employment is crucial to fight criminality; it offer former prisoners dignity and responsibility. It offers them the second chance they need," Mallia said.

At the present time, companies only offer employment opportunities at the correctional facility while the prisoners are serving their sentence. Manuel Mallia announced contacts with companies were already made in order to facilitate employment opportunities for the inmates after they leave the correctional facility.

Both Paola Mayor and Home Affairs Minister lauded Ian Borg, Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds, for his involvement in this project. "We need to trim bureaucracy. We had to intervene to give the final push for this project which at some point remained pending" Borg remarked.

The project, co-financed through the European Social Fund, is estimated to cost around €312,000 and will end by mid-2014. 180 prison inmates are expected to participate in this programme, which will take place within the correctional facility itself.