Fresh Start’s Ex-offender job placements exceed 250

In the ten months to April 30, 2003 Fresh Start field officers and volunteers placed 252 clients (21 during April – effectively just 3 weeks) into full time paid employment.

In all cases there is an on-going contact or mentoring programme to achieve at least 91 days full time employment. More than 50 % of the placements have been in the Auckland region while more than 60% of the clients placed were either Maori or Pacific island peoples.

Clients placed include some of the most difficult - ex-offenders on life parole and those who have had many previous convictions for serious crimes.

British Government backs jobs for ex-offenders and Fresh Start

The British Government says that a key element of sentencing is the rehabilitation of offenders to reduce re-offending and contribute to safer communities. According to the British Home Office’s website “Employment is an important aspect of re-settlement – it can halve the risk of re-offending yet a criminal record can be a real barrier.”

And the Home Office has backed its belief with action. It has launched its own Fresh Start programme (using our name! ) for ex-offenders.

In New Zealand, Fresh Start continues to press for a whole of Government approach and a partnership between the State private and Community sectors.

Fresh Start Inc believes that the economic benefits (excluding victims, Insurance, business, investigation prosecution, social and other costs) will range between $240,000,000 and more than $500,000,000 during the first three full years of the proposed Community-Private-State sector partnership approach to the employment of ex-offenders

A letter to Fresh Start from an ex-offender

Within about 3 weeks or so after registering with Fresh Start they got me a job at a large stationery company as Business Services Manager. My Boss, who is also the owner of the company, knows about my history (offending as a teenager) and decided to give me a chance. My job is exciting and involves creating new customers while dealing with current customers, and overall running of the copy centre. Some people think that that ex-criminals aren't worth helping back into work, That's the Impression I got from them. Fresh Start has been a huge help to me, I still see the Field Officer and other people from Fresh Start from time to time. They also stop by the business often to see how my new job is going ….

Extract from letter dated April 12. Jayson (Auckland)

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