The Linkage Service launches Annual Report

LINKAGE SERVICE ASSISTS OVER 5,000 FORMER OFFENDERS TO RE-INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY UPON RELEASE PREVENTING REPEAT CONVICTIONS

The Linkage Service is aimed at assisting former offenders with gaining access to training, education and employment allowing them to re-integrate into society upon release.

Click here to view interactive report

• Over 5,000 former offenders have engaged with the Linkage programme
• Over 4,000 people have been placed in employment, education or training
• 42% were placed in Employment, 39% in training and 19% in education
• 12% of all clients have been female
• 14% increase in successful placements in 2009 compared to 2008

Dublin July 1st: The 2009 Annual Report of Business in the Community Ireland's Linkage Service will be officially launched today Thursday, 1st July at 4.30pm. The annual report will reveal that the programme has successfully assisted 4,061 former offenders to gain education, training and employment since the inception of the nationwide programme in 2000. The results of the report were presented to Michael Donnellan, Director of The Probation Service by Business in the Community Ireland, at a reception held at the Probation Service Offices in Haymarket, Dublin.

Key highlights of today's report include:

From 2000-2009, 5128 former offenders have engaged with the Linkage Service. Of that, 4061 people have been placed in employment, education or training. In total, 6628 placements have been made (clients may have multiple placements e.g. a training course placement and then a job placement).

 Of those 6628 placements-
o 42% were placed in Employment
o 39% were placed in Training
o 19% were placed in Education
 To date, 12% of all clients have been female
 The number of successful placements has increased by 14% in 2009 although more are now being placed in training and education than in previous years
 Many have also been placed in volunteering positions in 2009 and this will be included as an individual statistics for the Service going forward

“The outcomes of the past year have been remarkable when you consider the challenges that faced us on a number of fronts caused by the economic downturn. One of these challenges was a significant reduction in the number of employment placement opportunities from traditional sectors such as construction. However, overall, the number of people placed at 907 was, in fact, over 14% higher than in 2008. The success of the Service relies on referrals from the Probation Officers of the Probation Service and our relationship with the Probation Service goes from strength to strength each year which is shown in the increasing number of referrals that we receive. The programme would not be possible without the employers who offer placements said Paddy Richardson, Manager of Employment Programmes with Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI).

The work of the Linkage Service has been found to have far reaching positive implications, not just for the client but also for his or her family, peer group and for the wider community as a whole. The Linkage Programme covers the majority of the counties in Ireland and employs 16 Training & Employment officers (TEOs) throughout the country.

The current cost of keeping an offender in prison is approximately €90,000 per annum. The Linkage Service is a viable means of assisting former offenders, keeping them out of the cycle of crime and preventing recidivism. The Linkage Service and other such services that assist former offenders upon release are essential to combat the current issue of overcrowding and serve to save money in the long run by keeping people out of the prison system.

Funded by the Probation Service under the National Development Plan, The Linkage Service is managed by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI). The Linkage Service is part of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy and received funding of approximately €1.47 million from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through the Probation Service in 2009. In addition, the support of the Irish business sector, agencies such as FÁS, IBEC and Small Firms Association as well as the non profit sector are all essential partners and ensure the continued success of the Linkage Service in the years to come and have been a contributing factor to the success of the programme to date.

-Ends-


For further information or a copy of the Annual Report, please contact:
Una O' Murchu, Business in the Community Ireland
Tel: 086 780 87 62 / 01 874 3821
Email: uomurchu@bitc.ie