INMATES at HMP Forest Bank prison have been given bank accounts in a bid to stop them falling back into a life of crime.

In the past year re-offending rates for those with access to a bank account at the prison — where many Bolton criminals are sent — have been cut by a third.

The study by Liverpool John Moores University analysed the behaviour of a group of prisoners who opened an account with The Co-operative Bank in October, 2007.

Steve Taylor, deputy director at HMP Forest Bank, said: “These bank accounts play a huge part in helping to reduce re-offending. By aiding social inclusion, prisoners are enabled to feel part of the wider community, therefore minimising the chance of them returning to crime.”

The initiative was introduced in 2006 in conjunction with Kalyx, which manages the Salford prison, and now extends to 30 prisons across the country.

The research among 107 ex-offenders, who opened a bank account before being released from Forest Bank, shows that the re-offending rate was below the national average.

In the category of prisoners serving sentences of less than 12 months, the national re-offending rate is 59.9 per cent.

But among those with a bank account, only 39 per cent re-offended — a reduction of 34.8 per cent.

Paul Jones, of Liverpool John Moores University, who conducted the study, said: “Bank accounts are not the panacea for reducing re-offending rates but as this research shows, it can have a positive impact.”

The bank has worked closely with the prison authorities to ensure prisoners on the scheme have accounts and a cash card before release.

The research found re-offending rates lower than the national average across all prisoner categories and, highlighted the important role access to bank accounts can play — not only in the effective resettlement and rehabilitation of prisoners, but also with longer-term social and financial inclusion.

Neville Richardson, chief executive of The Co-operative Financial Services, said: “Since the scheme began three years ago.

“The Co-operative Bank has opened more than 3,500 basic bank accounts for prisoners and we have a relationship with 30 prisons, which represents nearly 20 per cent of all UK prisons.

pkeaveny@theboltonnews.co.uk