Would you support or oppose the establishment of a local hub where prison leavers can learn job skills, get support in building a crime-free life and engage in charitable activities?

Posted by JackStrawWitchita@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 313 comments

People leaving prison face huge barriers in finding employment, getting established in normal life and often need support for various issues. Most employers won't hire prison leavers, many prison leavers end up in homeless accommodation, most have some sort of mental health/dependency issue and lack of support. Right now, a huge percentage of prison leavers who want to do the right thing, hit these barriers and end up back into their old ways which leads to another stint in prison. We're looking at setting up a hub where invited prison leavers can meet with support people, learn self-employment and employment skills, get involved in community improvement activities and basically help stay on the right path. However, we are being told the general public will object to this type of facility in their community. How do you feel about having a place like this in your town?