A new national alliance has launched to help relieve pressure on prison places by supporting people with past convictions to get jobs across Britain’s transport sector.

Rebuilding Futures Alliance (RFA) has now begun work to bring 100+ past conviction charities together – and by working directly with transport’s biggest employers, the Alliance will help place and track low risk ex-offenders – tackling the workforce shortage in the sector. Founded by transport expert, Chris Leech MBE, the Alliance will connect those individual charities with major transport employers.

The RFA believes this will break the cycle of criminality amongst the UK’s low risk prison population by offering them the chance to learn a skilled trade across the rail, bus and metro networks in Britain.  

The RFA says reoffending rates are amongst the highest in the western world. One in two people reoffend within 12 months of release, compared to one in five if they secure a job with purpose. According to Government stats, the average cost to keep a prisoner in jail in 2022-23 was £51,108. And reoffending costs the UK £18.1 billion annually.

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