How employers can promote and support resilience in prison leavers in the workplace

Abstract

Employment is widely recognised as one of the principal contributors to desistance from crime. Yet research consistently shows that many employers remain reluctant to hire prison leavers, citing reputational risk and perceived deficits in workplace or social skills. Despite decades of policy attention, limited support exists to help prison leavers secure and sustain meaningful employment. Understanding how systemic change can improve access to work for this population therefore remains a pressing concern, particularly given the lack of research into employer-led approaches that foster resilience and create supportive workplace environments. This qualitative study, informed by participatory methodologies with resonance to transformative principles, draws on twenty-two semi-structured interviews with employers of prison leavers, one third of whom were prison leavers themselves. The data were analysed thematically, with prison leavers contributing to the interpretation and presentation of findings. This approach centres lived experience within the analytic process and addresses gaps in the existing evidence base on employer perspectives in England and Wales.
The findings demonstrate how resilience-building and trauma-informed practices can strengthen the conditions known to support desistance, including stability, trust, and supportive employment relationships, while also promoting more inclusive workplace cultures. By illustrating the mutual benefits of employing prison leavers for individuals, organisations, and communities, the study provides evidence to inform social policy and challenge exclusionary employment practices. It argues that empathetic, informed, and inclusive approaches to hiring prison leavers are essential to rehabilitation and reintegration, contributing to reduced stigma and greater social equity.

Date of Award	Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Francisca Farache Aureliano Da Silva (Supervisor) & Linda Tip (Supervisor)