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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: The Ministry of Justice (UK) is currently scoping the possibility of a financial incentive for employers that hire ex-offenders. Options under consideration include wage subsidies and issuing free insurance bonds to cover employers against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement). We are aware of a comparable scheme in the USA (the Federal Bonding Program) but we are interested to find out how European governments are approaching this issue
no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?Non applicable
Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?Non applicable
no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?The Irish Prison Service does not offer financial incentives to employers of offenders or ex offenders. The Irish Prison Service is aware that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides 'Jobs Plus' scheme which is a broad labour market incentive, not only for ex-offenders. Information is available at https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobsPlus-Jobseekers.asp Jobs Plus is an employer incentive which encourages and rewards employers who offer employment opportunities to the long-term unemployed. Time spent in prison may count towards the qualifying time once entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment is re-established. The level of payment ranges from €7,500 to €10,000 over two years depending on the category of employee.
Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works? If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?Prison doesn’t offer such incentives. However the national agency for employment, Jobsplus, runs a scheme entitled “Bridging the Gap” This scheme is designed to support the client in the transition period from unemployment to employment. It allows the employer to evaluate the performance of the client in the workplace, prior to proper engagement. The employer and Jobsplus enter into an agreement regarding the work exposure period, whereby the client is placed on the scheme with the prospect of employment. Clients receive a weekly allowance of 80% of the minimum wage from Jobsplus. The client will have to renounce the rights to any social security benefits if the work exposure period exceeds the twenty-eight weeks. Employers participating in this scheme are exempted from social security contributions, wages and sick leave benefits. Throughout this work exposure phase, the employer can benefit from the support of Jobsplus officials
Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?Not aware as prison
no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?The Corps of Prison and Court Guard (hereinafter only “the Corps”) does not provide post-penitentiary treatment. The competence of the Corps includes only treatment about persons serving prison sentence (until the release from the prison). The provision of financial incentives for employers of released convicts is regulated within the general legal regulation of the employment services. In the case that the convict registers at the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family after being released from the prison, he or she is included among so called disadvantaged job applicants (besides them, disadvantaged applicants also include citizens older than 50 years old, citizens with disabilities, etc.). The employer who on created work position accepts disadvantaged job applicant (so released convict) registered in the job applicants evidence at least for three months, may apply for contribution on employment support of the disadvantaged job applicant. The monthly contribution is from 25 to 40 % of the total labour costs of the employee. The contribution is provided to the employer by the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, in whose territorial district the employer created a work position. The Corps does not have more detailed information on the effectiveness of the mentioned contribution as he is not its provider
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?These matters are not handled by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, but by other governmental agencies, such as the Swedish Public Employment Service.
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
yes
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?Following the Law on Social Enterprises an enterprise may be granted the status of a social enterprise and fulfils of the following conditions: the number of employees who are attributed to the target group accounts for not less than 40% of the annual average number of the employees on the staff list, and the number of the employees who are attributed to the target groups of persons is not less than four. Types of State Aid Provided to a Social Enterprise which employs ex offenders 1) partial reimbursement of wages and state social insurance contributions; 2) subsidy for the training of the employees who are attributed to the target groups (e.g. ex offenders).
Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?The effect is not very efficient, therefore amendments are planned to the Law on Social Enterprises
yes
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works?According with Section 56.9 Part 2 of The Sentence Execution Code of Latvia, A merchant and a deprivation of liberty institution employing convicted persons have all the duties of an employer laid down in the Law On Taxes and Duties, Law On Personal Income Tax and Law On State Social Insurance. According with Section 56.16 of The Sentence Execution Code of Latvia, The minimum hourly tariff rate and minimum monthly work remuneration of a convicted person according to the work performed by the him or her and the resocialisation objectives shall be as follows: 1) 50 per cent of the minimum hourly tariff rate and minimum monthly work remuneration determined in the State for the standard working time - to a convicted person serving his or her sentence in a closed prison or a partly-closed prison; 2) equivalent to the minimum hourly tariff rate determined in the State - to a convicted person serving his or her sentence in an open prison; 3) 50 per cent of the minimum hourly tariff rate determined in the State for an adolescent minor - to a convicted minor. In addition, according with Section 56.15 Part 6, Work remuneration for a convicted person within the scope of normal working time shall not be less than the amount of the minimum wage stipulated in this Code. Thus this stipulation about the amount of the minimum wage for employed convicted person can be assessed as incentive for the employer because they have the opportunity to employ convicted persons for the work remuneration according with the minimum wage as set in the Code. According with Section 6.10 of the Cabinet Regulations No.97, Adopted 20 February 2018 "Terms and Conditions for Renting a Public Property" (hereinafter – Regulations), the rates set by the Regulation 2nd Chapter may not be applied (except in the cases of Sections 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 30 and 31 of these Regulations) if the imprisonment place property is rented to a merchant that employs convicted person in imprisonment place territory. In addition, according with Section 85 of the Regulation, the leaseholder in the case of Section 6.10 of these Regulations may reduce the set rent by 3% if the merchant employs up to 20 convicted persons, by 5% if merchant employs from 20 to 50 convicted persons, by 7% if the merchant employs from 50 to 100 convicted persons, by 10% if the merchant employs more than 100 convicted persons. Thus, the reduced rent can be viewed as an incentive to employer that employs convicted persons in imprisonment place and rents property. The minimum wage that is set in the Code for employing convicted persons, as well as the competitive rent for leasing imprisonment place buildings or rooms for production organization, that can be applied a reduction according with the number of employed convicted persons, are incentives that are focused on employers who employ convicted persons in imprisonment place. Latvian Prison Administration central board Finance management and control department does not have information if any merchant has requested a reduction for rent according with the number of employed convicted persons as set in the Regulations. At the moment of this information request, there are no signed agreements regarding amendments to the signed non-residential premises or real estate lease agreements about the reduction of rent according with Sections 85 and 86 of the Regulations.
Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?The current National normative acts regarding convicted person employment do not stipulate issuing insurance/insurance bonds for employers that employs convicted persons, to cover potential loss (theft, fraud, embezzlement) caused by the employed convicted persons. At the same time, please note that in imprisonment places the monitoring of convicted persons is provided, so that the convicted persons keep to their set daily agenda and not commit unlawful acts; in addition, monitoring is also applied to the production process and premises where the convicted persons work, and after work convicted persons are searched, count check and premise inspection is carried out.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
no
If yes, what form of incentive is offered? Can you offer any information about how the scheme works? Does the government offer insurance/insurance bonds to employers of offenders/ex-offenders to cover against potential loss caused by ex-offender employees (e.g. theft, fraud, larceny, embezzlement)?no
If yes, can you offer any information about how the scheme works and whether you have any evidence of its success in encouraging employers who would otherwise be averse, to hire ex-offenders?