Continuing the Journey: Catch22 and Offploy Enter Their Fourth Year of Change

Finding meaningful work after prison remains one of the most significant hurdles to rehabilitation. Recent GOV figures from 2024 show that approximately 19.3% of ex-offenders in England and Wales are in employment within six weeks of release. 

While this is a modest improvement on previous years, it still means the vast majority leave prison without the stability that work can provide. Without that foundation, the risk of reoffending is increased, leading to wider social and economic costs for people and their communities.

It is this cycle that Catch22 and Offploy are determined to break. As they renew their partnership for a fourth year, both organisations are doubling down on practical steps to remove obstacles, build confidence, and open up fairer employment opportunities.

Who are Catch22?

For over two centuries, Catch22 has been designing and delivering services that help people build better futures. Their vision is built on three simple principles: good people, good place, and purpose. 

In other words, Catch22 helps individuals build supportive relationships, as well as secure housing and meaningful work. Today, Catch22 reaches more than 140,000 people each year across 100+ services spanning employment, justice, education, and social care.

This scale means Catch22 is not only a provider of frontline support but also a powerful advocate for systemic change. As part of this, the organisation is committed to ensuring its workforce reflects the inclusive practices it encourages across the broader employer landscape.

The Obstacles to Fair Employment

Despite ongoing progress, stigma and structural barriers continue to lock many people with convictions out of the labour market. Disclosure rules are often poorly understood, leaving applicants uncertain about what they must share, while employers are unsure how to respond. 

For many organisations, these uncertainties can create hesitation: HR teams are rarely trained to manage disclosures confidently, and hiring managers may lack both the awareness and tools required to make fair and consistent hiring decisions.

The societal impact is also clear. Official GOV data has shown that people who leave prison without work are twice as likely to reoffend compared to those in employment six weeks after release. For employers already struggling with skills shortages, this represents not just a missed opportunity but an unnecessary perpetuation of social inequality.

How Catch22 and Offploy are Tackling These Obstacles

The renewed contract between Catch22 and Offploy sets out a comprehensive action plan for 2025–26.

1. Training and awareness

Offploy will deliver ex-offender inclusion sessions in every Catch22 hub, supported by on-demand recordings and bite-sized training modules. Hiring managers will benefit from interactive workshops, refresher courses, and a detailed Hiring Toolkit covering best practice, risk management, and legal considerations. 

New peer-learning groups and mentoring schemes will ensure that those with lived experience can share their insight directly with colleagues. At the same time, HR teams will receive specialist training to manage disclosures sensitively and fairly.

2. Recruitment and onboarding support

Together, the two organisations will audit and standardise recruitment processes across all hubs, ensuring they are welcoming and consistent. 

Practical tools, including ex-offender-friendly recruitment guides, CV templates, and an online resource hub, will give applicants real support in presenting their skills. One-to-one coaching and support will also be available to candidates applying for roles within Catch22.

3. Social impact and employer engagement

Internally, Catch22 will launch its “Another Chance” campaign to promote its reintegration programme, alongside a “We Hire with Conviction” badge that partners and affiliates can adopt. 

Employee storytelling will be central to this phase: podcasts, video testimonials, and quarterly “Real Talk” forums will showcase the journeys of colleagues with lived experience, helping to break down stigma. Research, surveys, and case studies will provide evidence of impact and help refine policies.

4. Contract management

Regular review meetings at both senior and delivery levels will keep the partnership on track, with progress monitored monthly and formally reviewed each quarter.

Why This Matters

Employment is one of the most effective tools in reducing reoffending. The latest data shows that offenders who were unemployed six weeks after leaving prison had a reoffending rate more than double that of those in work (35.3% vs 16.8%).

By renewing their partnership for a fourth year, Catch22 and Offploy are demonstrating that inclusive hiring is not simply a matter of social responsibility; it is a proven pathway to safer communities, stronger organisations, and a fairer society.

How You Can Get Involved