British company's recruitment program proves effective for convicts' rehabilitation

The last thing any prisoner should be taught as they remain locked behind bars is how to cut keys.

But a family owned business in Britain hit on the idea of teaching prisoners how to become locksmiths in what has been an effective rehabilitation scheme.

Hundreds of ex-offenders now work for key-cutting and shoe repair business Timpsons, many appointed as store managers. And the success has been staggering, with virtually all of their ex-prison staff staying on the so-called 'straight and narrow'.

In its annual report published Friday, Timpson reports that more than one-in-ten of its 3,200 workforce are ex-prisoners.

Headed by chairman John Timpson, the company, founded in 1865, lays down just two rules for its workforce: look the part and put the money in the till (cash register).

Staff getting married can borrow the company limousine as a bridal car, and they are given 100 pounds(142 U.S.dollars) as a wedding present and a week's holiday for their honeymoon.

The idea of employing convicts came after John Timpson's son, James the company CEO, visited a prison in Cheshire.

He was so impressed with the prisoner who acted as his tour guide, he offered him a job, and was later promoted to store manager.

Timpson now has training centers at four British prisons, teaching inmates a trade in preparation for their release.

Some inmates still serving sentences are allowed to work at a Timpson store, repairing shoes and making keys, returning to their prison cells for the night.

In a recent interview John Timpson said that first recruit was a catalyst for a project that has resulted in a marked drop in reoffending and saved British taxpayers more than 28 million U.S.dollars.

Timpson senior said: "Few people believed it would work and, sadly, even fewer are keen to copy the idea. Our experience helped us realise we could help ourselves and people like Matt (their first recruit) at the same time."

According to him,there are 85,000 people in UK prisons and 61 percent of them reoffend within two years of release. For those with a job, that figure drops to less than one in five.

"Many custodial sentences are served by honest people who made one big mistake. Some prisoners have the personality to be superstars, but their employment prospects are blighted by a host of HR departments that won't touch anyone with a criminal record," said Timpson senior.

"We have recruited in more than 70 prisons. A lot of our colleagues are released on temporary licence. They're allowed to work during the day and return to prison at night. This has proved to be the perfect way to prepare a new starter for life on the outside. Ninety-one per cent are still with us after two years."

"Only a few other companies are willing to take on ex-offenders, and many of those want to remain anonymous. At the heart of the prejudice are the words 'prisoner' or 'offender'."

"The people recruited from prison have amazed us, as have those Timpson colleagues who have gone out of their way to train and support them," he said. Endit