Iceland Foods has successfully hired 330 former offenders since the launch of its Second Chance rehabilitation scheme, with executive chairman Richard Walker encouraging other businesses to give more prisoners employment opportunities.
Iceland works with prisons across the UK to recruit prison leavers across its 900 stores and supply chain. Over the past 18 months, it has offered roles to 680 ex-offenders, half of whom have gone on to be successfully placed, in roles include store worker and delivery driver.
More are set to join the business over coming months. Iceland aims to employ more than 3,000 in the future, though it has not set a date for the figure.
Such has been the success of its own experience, Iceland has shared a “blueprint” with newly appointed government minister for prisons and rehabilitation James Timpson, for other companies to use as a model for their own scheme.
When it launched the scheme in 2022, Iceland appointed Paul Cowley as its head of rehabilitation to lead the process.
Cowley is a former prisoner himself and runs the charity Caring For Ex-Offenders. Since being appointed in November 2022, he has visited 98 prisons, and conducted face to face interviews with 800 potential candidates.
He is supported in the role by Iceland HR director Helen Tindle, who has worked to roll the scheme out across the business.
Iceland sets strict rules for which prisoners are eligible for interviews, and does not hire arsonists, sex offenders, current drug takers, terrorists or anyone on a life sentence.
It begins contact with them up to six months before their release, with candidates undergoing numerous interviews, many personally with Cowley. They are then offered roles working in stores, factories, or one of the group’s restaurant brands.
“Our newly rehabilitated colleagues have been a brilliant addition to the team, with some already being promoted into new roles and receiving awards for their hard work,” said Cowley.
Helping prison leavers to find regular employment upon their release can reduce their chances of reoffending by up to 10%, according to Ministry of Justice figures.
“Not having the security of a paid job following release from prison can have a devastating impact on ex-offenders, as well as their family, friends and society as a whole – with the cost of reoffending currently sitting at £18bn per year,” Cowley added.
“These individuals deserve the second chance that we are giving them, and more needs to be done to ensure they are given the opportunity to succeed.”
Iceland is among a number of food and drink companies to have in-house rehabilitation schemes. Ready meal maker and retailer Cook has run its Raw Talent scheme since 2014, and employs prison leavers in its stores, factories and head office.
Hospitality chains including Marston’s, and Wagamama – which hosted The Grocer at HMP Downview in November 2023 – are participants in the government’s New Futures Network project, which aims to upskill prison leavers.
Meanwhile Timpson – who was appointed as a justice department minister by new Labour prime minister Keir Starmer – has long been an advocate of businesses sourcing talent from prisons, and employs prison leavers in his own Timpson shoe repair stores.
It’s understood that Iceland is yet to receive a formal response from the government since presenting its blueprint.
“Helping ex-offenders get back into the workforce is proven to reduce reoffending, and we’re proud to be helping them with their rehabilitation and to offer security following release,” Walker said.
“Finding meaningful paid employment following release from prison is a significant factor in reducing the chances of individuals reoffending, so it’s not only beneficial to us to have them in the workforce but also to society as a whole.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have Paul with his years of experience working to help rehabilitate ex-offenders running our Second Chance scheme, and the results speak for themselves. The next step for us is to help more people is to share our blueprint for rehabilitation to get ex-offenders into the workforce and help them stay on the right path.”
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