Minister for Employment Visits Custodial and Probation Services in London, Leeds and Doncaster Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, Christian Santos, and a delegation from the Ministry, including Principal Secretary April Smart-Devincenzi, Supported Employment Programme Manager Jolene Gomez, and Leon Alvez assisting the team, havecompleted a series of working visits to custodial and probation services in England examining approaches to employment, education and resettlement across prison and community settings.

The visits form part of the Ministry’s ongoing work to develop a comprehensive Five-Year Work Reintegration Strategy, aimed at strengthening the connection between custody, supervision and sustainable employment in Gibraltar with a focus on identifying practical measures that are proportionate and suitable for implementation within a small jurisdiction.

The programme began at HMP & YOI Feltham in London, where the delegation, joined by Justin Rollins, author, artist and entrepreneur, examined how education, vocational training and early employment planning are embedded within the daily regime, including visits to workshops and residential units.

In Leeds, the team met with the Probation Delivery Unit to explore how employment is integrated into sentence management and sustained from custody into community supervision.

At HMP Moorland in Doncaster, discussions focused on prison industries and how structured work and resettlement planning prepare individuals for release.

The visit concluded at HMP Hatfield, an open prison where Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and strong employer partnerships support progression directly into sustained employment.

Minister Santos commented: “What we saw across these establishments was a consistent and deliberate focus on work as part of rehabilitation. Employment is built into the system from an early stage and carried through into the community. As we develop Gibraltar’s Five-Year Work Reintegration Strategy, we will be guided by what is practical and achievable for our context. That means clear responsibility for outcomes, meaningful engagement with employers and proper continuity between custody and supervision, so that employment becomes a genuine pathway to stability. My sincere thanks to all the Governors and their teams for the hospitality shown to us throughout our visits.”

Top pic: L-R: Leon Alvez, Pamela Meachen (HMYOI Feltham),  Justin Rollins (author), Minister Santos, Jolene Gomez and April Smart-Devincenzi.