Criminals could be sentenced to work at Iceland instead of being sent to prison in bid to tackle jail overcrowding
Criminals could be sentenced to work at Iceland Foods instead of going to prison in a bid to tackle Britain's overcrowded jails crisis.
Senior executives at the supermarket said they could be handing out jobs to low-risk offenders facing short prison terms as part of a suspended sentence.
The idea, which is in its very early stages, would mean prisoners would be working for the retailer before ever having to spend time behind bars.
Chief executive Richard Walker and Iceland's first director of rehabilitation Paul Cowley wrote a letter to prisons minister Lord Timpson to discuss the proposal.
Mr Walker believed Iceland Foods had a 'really powerful solution' to the prison crisis - which has led Labour to controversially release thousands of inmates early to free up space in overcrowded wings across the country.
Two former attorney-generals have told the pair the plan was legally possible and could act like a suspended sentence.
Cowley told The Times: 'If it all goes well, then that's your sentence. You don't go to prison. You don't lose your home, kids don't go into care. And if it doesn't, and it all goes pear shaped, then it's a suspended sentence which kicks in.
'But it's an opportunity to get rid of a custodial sentence. And I believe, and the company believes, that that would have some impact on reducing reoffending and our prison population.'

Senior executives at Iceland Foods said they could be handing out jobs to low-risk offenders facing short prison terms as part of a suspended sentence

Chief executive Richard Walker (centre) and Iceland's first director of rehabilitation Paul Cowley (right) wrote a letter to prisons minister Lord Timpson (left) to discuss the proposal
'We have a prisons crisis, and we have a solution that we think could be really powerful. And look, if people mess up and they don't turn up for work, then they do go inside.'
As of August last year, Iceland Foods employed 350 ex-offenders across a variety of posts on shop floors, in restaurants and as home delivery drivers.
And since Mr Cowley joined as director of rehabilitation in 2022, a further 300 currently hold job offers from the company and employment has been offered to more than 680 ex-offenders.
Mr Cowley said Iceland will 'probably work with women first' - as female offenders are often sentenced to custody for non-violent, low level but persistent offences.
'Prison employment leads', who will be given eligibility criteria by Iceland Foods, will find and present candidates to Mr Cowley.
Those who are successful will be offered a job after an interview with Mr Cowley about their background and rehabilitation.
The company already has strict protocols on which types of offenders can work at Iceland Foods.
No one from the sex offenders register will be considered, Mr Cowley said, and those with an arson conviction will also be blacklisted because of 'insurance issues'.
Mr Walker admits that candidates would have to undergo 'serious vetting' under the plan and claimed they will 'know much more about their backgrounds' than their non-offender staff members.
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Mr Walker believed Iceland Foods had a 'really powerful solution' to the prison crisis
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Those who are employed will get to choose which store they work in and if there is no local availability, the company will sponsor a role in that store for 12 to 15 weeks.
Mr Cowley said about 80 per cent of job offers sent to previous offenders were accepted — higher than the standard recruitment rate.
Now, Iceland Foods wants to expand its initiative and create an independent not-for-profit to hire ex-offenders on behalf of other retailers - with eight of the big ten supermarkets showing an initial interest in the rehabilitation not-for-profit.
Prisons Minister James Timpson admitted last month that some offenders were harder to employ than others.
Mr Walker believed it was 'very logical and obvious' that some crimes 'aren't redeemable' and wanted Iceland to 'focus on the third or half of the prison population that 'probably shouldn’t be in there'.
Lord Timpson has a long track record in advocating for reforms to the UK prison system.
The son of the British cobbler's founder has previously advocated for shorter prison sentences and has been applauded for his schemes in rehabilitating offenders.
In an interview with Channel 4's Krishnan Guru Murphy in early 2024, the Timpsons boss claimed the country was addicted to 'punishment' and argued that 'a lot' of inmates 'shouldn't be in prison'.

Mr Timpson (pictured), was made the new minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation only yesterday and has a long track record in advocating for reforms to the UK prison system
He also suggested that two-thirds of prisoners did not need to be there, instead backing community sentences which would see more offenders spared jail time.
In December, the National Audit Office revealed delays in building new prisons mean there will be a shortage of more than 12,000 jail places – and possibly as high as 21,200 – within three years.
This means Labour's controversial scheme to release inmates early is likely to continue for years.
Other proposals being considered include replacing shorter jail sentences of under a year or six months with community punishments and allowing criminals to serve their sentences on electronic tags at home under house arrest.
The prisons overcrowding crisis is down to the failure by the previous Conservative government to make sure policy changes bringing in longer jail sentences and boosting police numbers matched the space available in prisons to hold criminals, the report said.