For the last three years, modular housebuilder DragonHeart Homes in Peterborough, UK has employed prisoners from a Category-D open men’s prison.
41 inmates have come to work at DragonHeart so far. They get training in vital skills the construction industry is crying out for. It also gives them cash in the bank upon their release.
It means that when they get out, they have money to rent a place to live and decent job prospects – two major factors that prevent reoffending.
Pioneering scheme
DragonHeart is the largest employer in a pioneering scheme called Prisoners Building Homes, which unlocks public land for housing developments and helps prisoners get work with the builders.
Some of the inmates have stayed with DragonHeart after their release, while others have gone to work at other companies in the scheme.
Six months after their release, most DragonHeart alumni are in full employment and almost none have re-offended.
For this month’s podcast, I went to Peterborough to sit down with two men who’ve come through the DragonHeart programme
In unforgettable conversations, they say the experience has changed their lives. They’re proud of their new skills, proud to be looking after themselves and their families, and they love their jobs.
You’ll hear from DragonHeart director Jason Bassett MCIOB about why the company does this. He says the prisoners are reliable, productive workers who are eager to learn.
We also hear from Cheshire Police & Crime Commissioner Dan Price, who is on a mission to bring the Prisoners Building Homes scheme to the county of Cheshire.
