Fury As Prisoners Receive Discounted Driving Lessons

Book Theory Test Today investigates breaking news of prisoners receiving discounted driving lessons and theory test fees. 

Prisoners at Stanford Hill jail on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, are receiving £2,000 lessons, for learning how to drive trucks, completely free of charge. They are also having their theory test fees paid for by the Government, sparking outrage.

Upon completing the course, the Government then pays the necessary theory test fees and practical driving exam costs and, if criminals are successful in passing, they could be offered jobs as forklift truck operators or LGV lorry drivers.

Book Theory Test Today understands that inmates at the prison are learning to drive at a special driving school, prior to getting behind the wheel on an industrial estate driving trucks, vans and numerous other warehouse vehicles.

The driving course is monitored by logistics experts, Mainstream Training, but is being run by convicts also doing time.

The course costs £325, increasing to £757 for LGV training. However, inmates receive charity grants as part of the scheme in order to cover the expense

Government wants to cut costs in the long-term

In a statement form Paul Tolley, Senior Operations Manager at Mainstream Training, he said: “The Government is looking to save money in the long term. When these people leave prison they leave with £46 in their pockets and many of them go back into committing crimes.”

He added: “But, if you give someone a job then the likelihood of them re-offending is minimised.”

However, in a statement from Tory MP, Priti Patel, she said: “Criminals should not be fast-tracked into jobs at the expense of law-abiding citizens.”

One local resident, Simon Gregg, commented: “I wouldn’t mind a free training course to drive an HGV truck but I can’t afford it – I’d be better off in prison.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our priority is to rehabilitate prisoners and this scheme helps prepare them for work at zero-cost to the taxpayer. Prisoners are helping themselves find a job on release so they don’t just return to a life of crime.”

Book Theory Test Today says: “The furious reaction stems from the idea that criminals are getting something for nothing whilst hard-working, law-abiding citizens seem to be getting a rough deal. However, the scheme is a good idea in terms of rehabilitating prisoners, but it gives the impression that if a prisoner were to continue in a life of crime after release, they will get something for nothing.”

One commentator on the issue said: “The idea that prisoners get free driving lessons, theory test and practical exam expenses completely covered through grants is too far. The prisoners should be made to contribute because if they get a job at the end of it they will soon be receipt of more than the £46 they leave prison with. Upon landing a job they should pay the course fees back.”

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 9th, 2014 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Book Theory Test Today News, Learning to Drive, UK Driving Law. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.