Letter to Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP on registering employed prisoners under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“furlough scheme”)

“I welcome the recent positive steps by government to promote prisoners getting out to work. As you know, The Howard League has fought for many years to promote the notion of real work in prisons and supporting prisoners with employment to prepare for release. I am also pleased that your lawyers recently confirmed that prisoners who are employees can be part of the furlough scheme.

“Unfortunately this was only clarified the day before the last day that applications were accepted (9 June 2020) and in response to a legal challenge brought by one of my lawyers. Since then, we have been contacted by a number of people in prison who were unable to take up the scheme due to the earlier, and erroneous, memorandum issued by the prison service stating it was not permissible.”

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