Frozen food chain Iceland is hiring former prisoners in a new ‘going straight’ scheme.
The supermarket chain has signed an agreement with jail bosses after appointing former offender turned priest Paul Cowley as its director of rehabilitation last month.
Rev Cowley was jailed at HMP Risley in Cheshire for six months when he was 17 for theft offences.
Now in his mid-60s he has visited inmates at prisons in Onley in Warwickshire, Berwyn in Wrexham, Ranby in Notts, and women’s jail Styal in Cheshire to interview lags due for release.
Two newly freed ex-cons have already started working in an Iceland store and prisons around the UK have approached Rev Cowley to help them find work for offenders.
Rev Cowley said: “This is an exciting venture as Iceland take up the responsibility of employing ex-offenders at its 1,000 stores and food warehouses around the UK.”
The Rev Cowley joined the Army after leaving jail and served for 17 years, including in the Falklands and Northern Ireland.
He left as a staff sergeant in 1992, became a Christian in 1994 and in 2002 he was ordained as a priest .
He set up the charity Caring for Ex-Offenders in 2005 and in 2016 he was awarded an MBE for his work. He is also a part-time chaplain at two London prisons.
Iceland’s managing director Richard Walker said: “Paul is a legend. The evidence is laid very clearly. If former offenders are given a job, they’re 50% less likely to reoffend. So it’s good for the business and good for society.”
Mr Walker promised: “We’ll be very open and clear with our stores about who these people are.
“We haven’t taken the decision lightly. We have processes in place, we are gently announcing it with colleagues. We’ll see how it goes, but hopefully scale it up.”
A Prison Service spokesman said: “Getting former prisoners into work cuts reoffending and keeps the public safe, and the vast majority of employers find them motivated and reliable.”
