Freed convicts must be made to look for work, say Tories

Prisoners would be forced to look for a job after being released from jail under Tory plans.

They would be ordered to take part in intensive return-to-work programmes instead of being allowed simply to go back on the dole.

Those refusing to take part in the welfare-to-work programmes would lose their benefits. Such schemes have been a success in the U.S.

The Conservatives believe pushing offenders into employment would reduce the prospect of them falling back into crime and also slash the benefits bill.

Under a scheme to be outlined today, offenders who have been in jail or doing community service would be forced to go on courses teaching them how to write CVs and sit job interviews. They would also have to do work experience.

Conservative work and pensions spokesman Chris Grayling will make the pledge in a speech to the Right-leaning Centre for Policy Studies think-tank in London.

He will say: 'We will make it mandatory for everyone leaving a custodial or community-sentence, who doesn't have a job to go to, to join a return-to-work programme on the day of their release. Re-offending is one of the big challenges we face in our criminal justice system.'

Mr Grayling told the Daily Mail: 'We want to stop people spending life after prison hanging around on benefits in a bar waiting for someone to turn up and say, "Do you fancy doing a burglary next week?'' '

Charities and private firms would sign contracts with a Tory government to run the schemes.

They could be paid several thousand pounds for each person they managed to get into, and keep in, work.