Prisons Minister Lord Timpson

Prisons Minister James Timpson, Lord Timpson, speaks to Lord Forysth of Drumlean about fostering, business leadership and prison reform in the latest episode of Lord Speaker’s Corner.

In this episode

‘We all had a responsibility to help these other people.’

Lord Timpson reflects on a life shaped by an unconventional childhood, where his mother fostered almost 100 children over the years. He shares that ‘we were the youngest kids at school to know all the swear words’ but that his mother’s passion for challenging the system inspired his drive to make change happen.

‘The bigger percentage of the workforce at Timpson that were ex-offenders correlates to the increased profit performance of the business.’

Lord Timpson was the CEO of the Timpson Group for 22 years where he pioneered employing ex-prisoners, a practice now used by companies including Greggs, Tesco and Amazon. Drawing on his experience, he explains why employing ex-offenders can deliver both social impact and commercial success, plus why rehabilitation must sit at the heart of the justice system. He also reveals the challenges of the change from commercial CEO to government, and what he has taken from business into his work with civil servants.

‘Too many people leave prison and go back again.’

Lord Timpson also reflects on the complex current issues in the prison system, from reoffending to mental health and drug addiction, arguing for an approach rooted in rehabilitation as well as fewer women in prison. He also questions the high turnover of prisons ministers, with 25 postholders since 1990.

See more from the series https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/house-of-lords-podcast/

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