The UK Civil Service has employed 166 individuals with criminal convictions as part of a dedicated initiative designed to offer prison leavers a fresh start and reduce reoffending rates.
How the Second Chance Recruitment Scheme Works
Since its launch in 2021, the Going Forward into Employment Life Chance Recruitment Scheme has advertised 293 positions specifically open to applicants with past convictions. According to data obtained by the prisoners' newspaper, Inside Time, via a Freedom of Information request, 374 former convicts applied for these roles between 2021 and 2024, resulting in just under half securing employment.
The programme offers fixed-term contracts of up to two years across various government departments, with the potential for permanent positions upon completion. Roles filled include working on departmental IT issues, conducting administrative and clerical duties, responding to public queries, handling benefits claims, and managing correspondence and data analysis.
The scheme is open to individuals freed from prison within the last five years or those who served a community sentence during that period. Applicants must submit a CV and a 250-word personal statement explaining their desire to work in the Civil Service.
Strict Exclusions and Vetting Processes
Not all offenders are eligible. The programme explicitly excludes those who have served life sentences, alongside sex offenders, terrorists, arsonists, and individuals convicted of hate crimes. A Cabinet Office spokesperson emphasised that all applicants, including those from this scheme, must pass the same stringent security vetting standards as any other civil servant.
"This programme supports prison leavers into jobs, where they're less likely to reoffend and can make a positive contribution to society," the spokesperson stated.
The scheme also extends opportunities to other groups, including military veterans, people who have experienced homelessness or care, autistic individuals, and carers. A separate Ministry of Justice programme, the Probation Employment Pathway for those on probation, is not included in these figures.
Broader Context: Wiping Childhood Convictions
This recruitment drive emerges alongside separate government considerations regarding criminal records. Justice Secretary David Lammy is reportedly examining plans to simplify the system, potentially wiping certain childhood criminal records to prevent minor past offences from affecting people's employment prospects later in life.
Evidence shows that individuals in their 50s, 60s, and 70s can still have disclosures for petty crimes from their youth, such as street fighting or bike theft. Mr Lammy has previously advocated for a US-style model where, after a period of proven rehabilitation, people could apply to a judge to seal their records. Under such a proposal, the record would remain but would not need to be disclosed to most employers.
These broader proposals, however, face potential hurdles in defining which 'serious offences'—such as drug dealing or harassment—would be excluded from any sealing process.
The expansion of the Civil Service, which has grown from 384,000 staff in 2016 to over 500,000 last year, provides a significant context for these targeted recruitment efforts, highlighting a dual focus on both workforce growth and social rehabilitation.
