Scottish Prison Service, Amey Expand Roadwork Training to 15 Jails to Cut Reoffending
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · May 27
Scottish Prison Service, Amey Expand Roadwork Training to 15 Jails to Cut Reoffending
4 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · May 27
15 Scottish jails will now offer prisoners roadwork training under an expanded Scottish Prison Service-Amey scheme aimed at improving employment prospects after release.
The programme teaches traffic management and road maintenance tasks — including setting up temporary lights, cones and warning signs — to prepare inmates for construction-related jobs.
Amey said the recent pilot at HMP Inverness has already led to 2 inmates securing full-time work, supporting the case for a wider rollout.
The expansion also targets labour shortages in roads and construction, where employers say an ageing workforce and qualification gaps have made recruitment difficult.
The push comes as Scotland's prison population hit 8,587 last week against capacity of 7,805, with ministers backing work-focused rehabilitation to help reduce repeat offending.
Can training prisoners to fix roads solve both Scotland's reoffending crisis and its critical labor shortages?
As the program expands to fifteen prisons, how will it ensure success and manage risks for higher-security inmates?
With its two-year funding, what is the long-term plan to sustain this promising prisoner-to-employee pipeline?