LONDON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Prisons in England and Wales must undergo a "radical transformation" to prepare inmates for life after their release, a report published Friday stated.
The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee found that a "disturbingly high" number of inmates are locked in cells in overcrowded jails while they could be doing useful work.
The committee called for prisoners to engage in real work on a nine-to-five basis, as well as more opportunities for education, training and community work on day-release schemes.
The committee's chairman, former Home Office Minister John Denham, said, "There needs to be a far greater emphasis within prisons on 'real life' work if we are to stem re-offending."
Experience of a normal working day was vital to preparing offenders for life after prison, he said.
"Ex-prisoners with stable jobs and lifestyles are far less likely to re-offend," he added.
Effective rehabilitation could help cut the rate of repeat offenses, the report suggested.
At present almost 60 percent of inmates are reconvicted within two years of release.
