SOCIAL IMPACT REPORTJUNE 2020
Redemption Roasters was founded with a simple aim ‘to reduce re-offending in the UK through coffee’. This works in two ways -- by providing offenders with meaningful activity in custody, and then employment opportunities after they’ve served their sentences. It is a well-known fact employment reduces the like-lihood of criminal behaviour. We hope the data and case stud-ies in this report serve to illustrate this. A lot has changed at Redemption Roasters over the past year but, from the perspective of our social impact, two essential things have happened. First, since last October, we’ve employed Gillian as a full time Social Impact Officer. In her role, she has taken owner-ship of Redemption’s impact project. This means the company doesn’t rely solely on the ‘charity’ of those in commercial roles to mentor our graduates, although this continues to be a cen-tral part of everyone’s job at the business. Second, in March 2020, we opened our new home and project centrepiece, an industrial scale roastery at HMP the Mount in Hemel Hempstead. This marked a new chapter for the company because our education programs and production were finally unconstrained by space. Today, we no longer feel like a small specialty coffee roastery and we believe potential for positive social and eco-nomic outcomes from our business is greater than ever before. The word ‘unprecedented’ is often over-used. 2020, however, has been just that. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted governmental, societal, corporate and individual ac-tion unprecedented since World War II. Almost overnight, Re-demption shops and client businesses were forced to close and our prison education programs were suspended. >>Founders statement01
Redemption Roasters was founded with a simple aim ‘to reduce re-offending in the UK through coffee’. This works in two ways -- by providing offenders with meaningful activity in custody, and then employment opportunities after they’ve served their sentences. It is a well-known fact employment reduces the like-lihood of criminal behaviour. We hope the data and case stud-ies in this report serve to illustrate this. A lot has changed at Redemption Roasters over the past year but, from the perspective of our social impact, two essential things have happened. First, since last October, we’ve employed Gillian as a full time Social Impact Officer. In her role, she has taken owner-ship of Redemption’s impact project. This means the company doesn’t rely solely on the ‘charity’ of those in commercial roles to mentor our graduates, although this continues to be a cen-tral part of everyone’s job at the business. Second, in March 2020, we opened our new home and project centrepiece, an industrial scale roastery at HMP the Mount in Hemel Hempstead. This marked a new chapter for the company because our education programs and production were finally unconstrained by space. Today, we no longer feel like a small specialty coffee roastery and we believe potential for positive social and eco-nomic outcomes from our business is greater than ever before. The word ‘unprecedented’ is often over-used. 2020, however, has been just that. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted governmental, societal, corporate and individual ac-tion unprecedented since World War II. Almost overnight, Re-demption shops and client businesses were forced to close and our prison education programs were suspended. >>Founders statement01
>> In a space of a few days, revenues dropped by nearly 85%. During lockdown, we had no meaningful outcomes from our courses, no new employment opportunities in our shops and limited chances to place graduates with other organisations. Yet, we have done what we can: wholesale launched the Front-line Brew initiative to show our support for key workers, educa-tion started in-cell learning provisions and the whole team has worked to help our graduates navigate this period, whether practically, financially or emotionally. This context makes our social impact achievements during the year all the more impressive. Our highlight is our Social Return on Investment (SROI) score of 3.45:1. Although it is hard to put a number on our contribution, we believe this is the best we have for the value of Redemption to society. In ad-dition, case studies, of which James is a particularly touching example, underline this. As lockdown restrictions start to ease, we are working towards getting back to normal. This means resuming our ed-ucation programs, helping wholesale clients get back to busi-ness and re-opening our own shops as safely as possible. Out of custody training is an important area for us because it means graduates will be able to continue learning after release, increasing their chances of breaking the cycle of re-offending. Since March 2017, we have been striving ‘to reduce re-offending in the UK through coffee’. To date, a lot of our work has been noted but little has been properly measured or pub-lished. This report represents a break with that tradition: it’s the first rigorous and analytical presentation of our outcomes. To quote British statistician Karl Pearson, “that which is meas-ured, improves.” We believe this principle applies to us.0202
>> In a space of a few days, revenues dropped by nearly 85%. During lockdown, we had no meaningful outcomes from our courses, no new employment opportunities in our shops and limited chances to place graduates with other organisations. Yet, we have done what we can: wholesale launched the Front-line Brew initiative to show our support for key workers, educa-tion started in-cell learning provisions and the whole team has worked to help our graduates navigate this period, whether practically, financially or emotionally. This context makes our social impact achievements during the year all the more impressive. Our highlight is our Social Return on Investment (SROI) score of 3.45:1. Although it is hard to put a number on our contribution, we believe this is the best we have for the value of Redemption to society. In ad-dition, case studies, of which James is a particularly touching example, underline this. As lockdown restrictions start to ease, we are working towards getting back to normal. This means resuming our ed-ucation programs, helping wholesale clients get back to busi-ness and re-opening our own shops as safely as possible. Out of custody training is an important area for us because it means graduates will be able to continue learning after release, increasing their chances of breaking the cycle of re-offending. Since March 2017, we have been striving ‘to reduce re-offending in the UK through coffee’. To date, a lot of our work has been noted but little has been properly measured or pub-lished. This report represents a break with that tradition: it’s the first rigorous and analytical presentation of our outcomes. To quote British statistician Karl Pearson, “that which is meas-ured, improves.” We believe this principle applies to us.0202
Submission of business and impact case to MOJ Hiring of our first graduate Redemption Roasters is born04/1610/17Launch of roastery, and the first barista training academy at HMYOI Aylesbury04/1703/1702/18Opening of our 1st coffee shop in Bloomsbury07/17Rory Stewart, Minister of State for Prisons, visits our Wormwood Scrubs workshop03/19Opening of our 5th coffee shop in Eldon Street03/19Opening of our 2nd coffee shop in Farringdon Opening our 2nd and 3rd barista academies at HMP Spring Hill & Bullingdon07/18Opening of HMP Swanseabarista academy08/1910/18Opening of our 3rd coffee shop in King’s Cross08/19Opening of HMP Cardiff barista academy03/20New roastery opens at HMP The Mount02/19Opening of 4th barista academy at HMP Wormwood ScrubsOpening our 2nd and 3rd barista academies at HMP Spring Hill & Bullingdon07/18Opening of 4th coffee shop in Broadgate05/1901/2006/2008/19Opening of HMP Leicester barista academyOpening of 5th barista academy at HMP Woodhill 05/19Opening of HMP High Point barista academy02/2002/2011/19Opening of HMP High Down barista academy and Barista Tech course07/20Opening of Brook House IRC barista academy Construction completed on Community Training Lab Partnership with the Forward Trust begins for Espresso FuturesFounding of the Redemption Roasters Change Committee07/20Opening of our 6th & 7th coffee shops on King’s Road and Islington High Street The Redemption Roasters timeline
Submission of business and impact case to MOJ Hiring of our first graduate Redemption Roasters is born04/1610/17Launch of roastery, and the first barista training academy at HMYOI Aylesbury04/1703/1702/18Opening of our 1st coffee shop in Bloomsbury07/17Rory Stewart, Minister of State for Prisons, visits our Wormwood Scrubs workshop03/19Opening of our 5th coffee shop in Eldon Street03/19Opening of our 2nd coffee shop in Farringdon Opening our 2nd and 3rd barista academies at HMP Spring Hill & Bullingdon07/18Opening of HMP Swanseabarista academy08/1910/18Opening of our 3rd coffee shop in King’s Cross08/19Opening of HMP Cardiff barista academy03/20New roastery opens at HMP The Mount02/19Opening of 4th barista academy at HMP Wormwood ScrubsOpening our 2nd and 3rd barista academies at HMP Spring Hill & Bullingdon07/18Opening of 4th coffee shop in Broadgate05/1901/2006/2008/19Opening of HMP Leicester barista academyOpening of 5th barista academy at HMP Woodhill 05/19Opening of HMP High Point barista academy02/2002/2011/19Opening of HMP High Down barista academy and Barista Tech course07/20Opening of Brook House IRC barista academy Construction completed on Community Training Lab Partnership with the Forward Trust begins for Espresso FuturesFounding of the Redemption Roasters Change Committee07/20Opening of our 6th & 7th coffee shops on King’s Road and Islington High Street The Redemption Roasters timeline
“The training has helped me gain confidence, I realised if I focus I am a quick learner. The relaxing environment created by Rachel made me feel comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, the staff are an asset to Redemption Roasters.”- Scrubs graduate feedback
“The training has helped me gain confidence, I realised if I focus I am a quick learner. The relaxing environment created by Rachel made me feel comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, the staff are an asset to Redemption Roasters.”- Scrubs graduate feedback
Wholesale & retail
Wholesale & retail
Wholesale & RetailWe take great pains to make sure our customers receive the best coffee possible. We’re also going to great lengths to clean up supply chains and source more ethically. Our first directly traded coffee, Idah, helps us do just that.We take great pains to make sure our customers receive the best coffee possible. We’re also going to great lengths to clean up supply chains and source more ethically. Our first directly traded coffee, Idah, helps us do just that. Nestled in the Kigezi Mountains along the southwest-ern border between Uganda and the DRC sits the picturesque Kingha Coffee Estate. It was founded in 2015 by Kingsley Grif-fin who traded Dubai sand dunes and high rises to quench his thirst for education and adventure. The estate now produces some of the highest quality Arabica coffee in Uganda. It wasn’t solely the quality that attracted Redemption Roasters to Kingha Coffee. One of the founding principles of the estate is a commitment to creating sustainable develop-ment and long-term social impact; they hire local people, pay them a fair wage and provide them with personal development opportunities. Partnering with Bugiri Primary School, Kingha Coffee has completed construction on a small coffee garden for the students. Staff from the estate travel to Bugiri school two Sat-urdays each month to maintain the garden and provide agri-cultural classes. When harvest season comes, Kingha will purchase the cherries from Bugiri School at a premium price. The school will use the income to subsidise students’ educational costs. If suc-cessful, Kingha will offer this program free of charge >>1010>> to other local schools in the area. Redemption Roasters’ staff were fortunate enough to visit Kingha Coffee Estate in late 2018, and purchase the Estate and Outgrowers coffee early last year, with an agreed gate price in excess of Fairtrade. The coffee landed in the UK last September and is now available on our website and at our retail locations. Redemption Roasters is incredibly proud to bring this fantastic, directly traded, socially responsible coffee to the UK. During our visit, we were hosted by Idah Ngabirano, the es-tate’s caretaker. It seemed most fitting that this coffee carries her name.We need more and more Redemption Roasters. They are brilliant for us.Lance Harris,New Futures Network11““
Wholesale & RetailWe take great pains to make sure our customers receive the best coffee possible. We’re also going to great lengths to clean up supply chains and source more ethically. Our first directly traded coffee, Idah, helps us do just that.We take great pains to make sure our customers receive the best coffee possible. We’re also going to great lengths to clean up supply chains and source more ethically. Our first directly traded coffee, Idah, helps us do just that. Nestled in the Kigezi Mountains along the southwest-ern border between Uganda and the DRC sits the picturesque Kingha Coffee Estate. It was founded in 2015 by Kingsley Grif-fin who traded Dubai sand dunes and high rises to quench his thirst for education and adventure. The estate now produces some of the highest quality Arabica coffee in Uganda. It wasn’t solely the quality that attracted Redemption Roasters to Kingha Coffee. One of the founding principles of the estate is a commitment to creating sustainable develop-ment and long-term social impact; they hire local people, pay them a fair wage and provide them with personal development opportunities. Partnering with Bugiri Primary School, Kingha Coffee has completed construction on a small coffee garden for the students. Staff from the estate travel to Bugiri school two Sat-urdays each month to maintain the garden and provide agri-cultural classes. When harvest season comes, Kingha will purchase the cherries from Bugiri School at a premium price. The school will use the income to subsidise students’ educational costs. If suc-cessful, Kingha will offer this program free of charge >>1010>> to other local schools in the area. Redemption Roasters’ staff were fortunate enough to visit Kingha Coffee Estate in late 2018, and purchase the Estate and Outgrowers coffee early last year, with an agreed gate price in excess of Fairtrade. The coffee landed in the UK last September and is now available on our website and at our retail locations. Redemption Roasters is incredibly proud to bring this fantastic, directly traded, socially responsible coffee to the UK. During our visit, we were hosted by Idah Ngabirano, the es-tate’s caretaker. It seemed most fitting that this coffee carries her name.We need more and more Redemption Roasters. They are brilliant for us.Lance Harris,New Futures Network11““
Partnerships with a missionWe love to partner with businesses that are making a difference! We’re always on the lookout for like-minded companies that see the value in modelling their business around a good cause. Here are some of our favorites:One of our more recent partners, Nemi Teas offers a beautiful selection of Fairtrade-certified, whole-leaf tea blends. We’ve introduced this London-based tea company across all of our retail outlets, and as an extension to our wholesale offer. NEMI provides employment to refugees, giving them local work experience and job readiness skills. Their aim is to help employees enter the UK workforce with confidence, and integrate more fully into broader society.NEMI Teas1212The Oval Cafe, HarpendenThe Oval Café is a community run café entirely staffed by vol-unteers. With 100% of profits going to projects connected to Youth with a Mission, Oval is helping to fund a multitude of programs from activities for local teens, to orphan care and anti-human trafficking across Africa & the Middle East. That is a lot of good being done with the help of one small business!This partnership is particularly close to our hearts – Tap Social is a craft brewery based in Oxford who employ and train ex-of-fenders upon release, assisting with further placement and ca-reer planning. Tap Social has been scaling their ability to help their recruits for years, and are breaking down barriers in the vibrant craft brewing field. You can pick-up a cup of Redemption Roasters coffee at their taproom, but we’re guessing you’ll be eager to sample some other beverages as well. Tap Social MovementThink Coffee Ink, CamdenTHINK is a non-profit shop located in the heart of Camden Town. They offer specialty coffee with a side of expert hair-dressing and custom tattoos. The profits from the shop are di-rected toward local projects and initiatives, with special >>>> attention paid to disadvantaged youth. THINK’s ultimate goal is to expand their customer’s awareness while enhancing their community. Stop by for expert styling, delicious coffee and likeminded company.13
Partnerships with a missionWe love to partner with businesses that are making a difference! We’re always on the lookout for like-minded companies that see the value in modelling their business around a good cause. Here are some of our favorites:One of our more recent partners, Nemi Teas offers a beautiful selection of Fairtrade-certified, whole-leaf tea blends. We’ve introduced this London-based tea company across all of our retail outlets, and as an extension to our wholesale offer. NEMI provides employment to refugees, giving them local work experience and job readiness skills. Their aim is to help employees enter the UK workforce with confidence, and integrate more fully into broader society.NEMI Teas1212The Oval Cafe, HarpendenThe Oval Café is a community run café entirely staffed by vol-unteers. With 100% of profits going to projects connected to Youth with a Mission, Oval is helping to fund a multitude of programs from activities for local teens, to orphan care and anti-human trafficking across Africa & the Middle East. That is a lot of good being done with the help of one small business!This partnership is particularly close to our hearts – Tap Social is a craft brewery based in Oxford who employ and train ex-of-fenders upon release, assisting with further placement and ca-reer planning. Tap Social has been scaling their ability to help their recruits for years, and are breaking down barriers in the vibrant craft brewing field. You can pick-up a cup of Redemption Roasters coffee at their taproom, but we’re guessing you’ll be eager to sample some other beverages as well. Tap Social MovementThink Coffee Ink, CamdenTHINK is a non-profit shop located in the heart of Camden Town. They offer specialty coffee with a side of expert hair-dressing and custom tattoos. The profits from the shop are di-rected toward local projects and initiatives, with special >>>> attention paid to disadvantaged youth. THINK’s ultimate goal is to expand their customer’s awareness while enhancing their community. Stop by for expert styling, delicious coffee and likeminded company.13
Feedback from a graduate at HMP Wormwood Scrubs“Before I started this course I was really depressed, I stayed in bed all day. I have been awake early every day ready to go to the workshop.I feel that I have finally done something productive with my time and look forward to putting the skills to use.”
Feedback from a graduate at HMP Wormwood Scrubs“Before I started this course I was really depressed, I stayed in bed all day. I have been awake early every day ready to go to the workshop.I feel that I have finally done something productive with my time and look forward to putting the skills to use.”
Sustainability interventionsCarbon Off-SettingWe believe in making the world a cleaner place by mak-ing our business more sustainable. In addition to some good housekeeping, such as using bulb energy for all of our retail locations and office, here are some of the inter-ventions we’ve made in the past year:While we try to reduce our CO2 emissions where possible, emissions from our day-to-day operations are unavoidable at present. Carbon offsetting allows us to compensate for the re-mainder. Flo Gas allows us to purchase carbon credits based on our gas consumption and invests in an environmental pro-ject that captures or reduces the equivalent CO2. From 19 No-vember to 31 March 2020 we’ve offset the equivalent of 6.75 t CO2. That’s enough to fly 18,876 miles in a plane! 1616Coffee RecyclingDid you know that coffee grounds can be recycled? We’ve en-rolled in a coffee recycling program via First Mile which diverts our coffee waste from landfill. First Miles’ partner, Bio-Bean, then turns the waste into biofuels and essential oils. Recycling our grounds this way saves 80% CO2 emissions than if they were sent to landfill, and 70% than if they were sent to anaer-obic digestion facility mixed with food waste. So far, we’ve recy-cled 17,425 kgs of coffee grounds and saved 26 tonnes of CO2. Compostable Lids / CupsWe’ve made the switch to 100% compostable and biodegrad-able to-go cups in all of our shops. The paper used in our cups is FSC certified, meaning that the materials are either recy-cled or originate from well-managed forests. The lining is made from cornstarch rather than plastic. Even the ink that’s used to stamp our logo is water-based and eco-friendly. It may seem small, but every drop in the bucket counts.17
Sustainability interventionsCarbon Off-SettingWe believe in making the world a cleaner place by mak-ing our business more sustainable. In addition to some good housekeeping, such as using bulb energy for all of our retail locations and office, here are some of the inter-ventions we’ve made in the past year:While we try to reduce our CO2 emissions where possible, emissions from our day-to-day operations are unavoidable at present. Carbon offsetting allows us to compensate for the re-mainder. Flo Gas allows us to purchase carbon credits based on our gas consumption and invests in an environmental pro-ject that captures or reduces the equivalent CO2. From 19 No-vember to 31 March 2020 we’ve offset the equivalent of 6.75 t CO2. That’s enough to fly 18,876 miles in a plane! 1616Coffee RecyclingDid you know that coffee grounds can be recycled? We’ve en-rolled in a coffee recycling program via First Mile which diverts our coffee waste from landfill. First Miles’ partner, Bio-Bean, then turns the waste into biofuels and essential oils. Recycling our grounds this way saves 80% CO2 emissions than if they were sent to landfill, and 70% than if they were sent to anaer-obic digestion facility mixed with food waste. So far, we’ve recy-cled 17,425 kgs of coffee grounds and saved 26 tonnes of CO2. Compostable Lids / CupsWe’ve made the switch to 100% compostable and biodegrad-able to-go cups in all of our shops. The paper used in our cups is FSC certified, meaning that the materials are either recy-cled or originate from well-managed forests. The lining is made from cornstarch rather than plastic. Even the ink that’s used to stamp our logo is water-based and eco-friendly. It may seem small, but every drop in the bucket counts.17
Coal Drop’s YardLong LaneBroadgate CircleEldon StreetKing’s Road PopupIslington High StreetLamb’s Conduit Street
Coal Drop’s YardLong LaneBroadgate CircleEldon StreetKing’s Road PopupIslington High StreetLamb’s Conduit Street
Roastery
Roastery
The Move to The MountTo meet growing demand and expand our impact, we’ve moved our roasting and production operations from HMYOI Aylesbury to HMP The Mount. Hear it first-hand from our Head Roaster Ross...In January of 2020 Redemption Roastery 2.0 opened at HMP The Mount in Hemel Hempstead. The increase in square footage has enabled a higher volume of roasting. Enter the Loring S70, a 70kg roasting ma-chine of the highest spec technology and efficiency. It holds the potential for fully automated coffee roasting and much larger batches. In addition, it is also extremely “green”, with up to an 80% reduction in smoke, greenhouse gases and fuel efficiency compared to conventional roasters. Moving to HMP The Mount meant a move from a young offenders institute to a category C men’s prison. While we’ve recently had challenges training a cohort due to the >>2222>> COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to introduce seven residents to the world of speciality coffee. It didn’t take them (or us) long to get stuck into our new roles. Their passion not only for coffee, but also work ethic and craftsmanship, was vis-ible immediately. Some have already said they could see them-selves picking up a career in the coffee industry upon release. With unprecedented and unforeseen challenges facing the world this year,, we as a company wanted to express our thanks to frontline workers. On May 1st we released Frontline Brew, a stunning and complex coffee from Costa Rica in part-nership with Mercanta who graciously donated this coffee to us. To date, we have donated 610 bags of coffee for frontline and key workers nationwide. We hope late 2020 sees a return to normality. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on more great coffee and giving residents of HMP The Mount the education and passion that they can draw on in the future.- Ross Armson, Head Roaster23
The Move to The MountTo meet growing demand and expand our impact, we’ve moved our roasting and production operations from HMYOI Aylesbury to HMP The Mount. Hear it first-hand from our Head Roaster Ross...In January of 2020 Redemption Roastery 2.0 opened at HMP The Mount in Hemel Hempstead. The increase in square footage has enabled a higher volume of roasting. Enter the Loring S70, a 70kg roasting ma-chine of the highest spec technology and efficiency. It holds the potential for fully automated coffee roasting and much larger batches. In addition, it is also extremely “green”, with up to an 80% reduction in smoke, greenhouse gases and fuel efficiency compared to conventional roasters. Moving to HMP The Mount meant a move from a young offenders institute to a category C men’s prison. While we’ve recently had challenges training a cohort due to the >>2222>> COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to introduce seven residents to the world of speciality coffee. It didn’t take them (or us) long to get stuck into our new roles. Their passion not only for coffee, but also work ethic and craftsmanship, was vis-ible immediately. Some have already said they could see them-selves picking up a career in the coffee industry upon release. With unprecedented and unforeseen challenges facing the world this year,, we as a company wanted to express our thanks to frontline workers. On May 1st we released Frontline Brew, a stunning and complex coffee from Costa Rica in part-nership with Mercanta who graciously donated this coffee to us. To date, we have donated 610 bags of coffee for frontline and key workers nationwide. We hope late 2020 sees a return to normality. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on more great coffee and giving residents of HMP The Mount the education and passion that they can draw on in the future.- Ross Armson, Head Roaster23
“The experience gave me a positive outlook for the future and has gave me a good prospect of work and the support from my trainer was inspiring and helped build my confidence that I will not reoffend in the future.”- Duncan Eate, HMP High Down
“The experience gave me a positive outlook for the future and has gave me a good prospect of work and the support from my trainer was inspiring and helped build my confidence that I will not reoffend in the future.”- Duncan Eate, HMP High Down
Education
Education
• Total number of learners in our workshops: 422HMP LeicesterHMP WoodhillHMP BullingdonHMP High PointHMP High DownHMP Wormwood ScrubsTraining LabHMP AylesburyBrook House IRCHMP CardiffHMP The MountHMP SpringhillHMP SwanseaRedemption training academies Pass: 10(2.4%)Merit: 33(7.8%)Distinction: 379(89.8%)• 101 learners and graduates have entered our engagement pipeline. This means that they have been elected to proceed with employment support, whether that be CV workshopping, interview prep, trial shifts, or recruitment assistance. Note: Some of the 101 learners represented here are still incarcerated• 17 graduates have obtained employment through Redemp-tion Roasters recruitment assistanceOur stats
• Total number of learners in our workshops: 422HMP LeicesterHMP WoodhillHMP BullingdonHMP High PointHMP High DownHMP Wormwood ScrubsTraining LabHMP AylesburyBrook House IRCHMP CardiffHMP The MountHMP SpringhillHMP SwanseaRedemption training academies Pass: 10(2.4%)Merit: 33(7.8%)Distinction: 379(89.8%)• 101 learners and graduates have entered our engagement pipeline. This means that they have been elected to proceed with employment support, whether that be CV workshopping, interview prep, trial shifts, or recruitment assistance. Note: Some of the 101 learners represented here are still incarcerated• 17 graduates have obtained employment through Redemp-tion Roasters recruitment assistanceOur stats
Prison Population: 79,453 (male: 76,2000, female: 3,253) That is 97% of the usable operational capacity.Stats on reoffending in the UKJust two in five prisons received a positive rating from inspectors for purposeful activity. In 2018 59,000 people were sent to prison to serve their sentence (69% had committed a non-violent offence)Engagement with education can significantly reduce reoffending. The proven one year re-offending rate is 34% for prisoner learners, compared to 43% for people who don’t engage in any form of learning activity.England, Scotland, and Wales have the highest rate of imprisonment in Western Europe.
Prison Population: 79,453 (male: 76,2000, female: 3,253) That is 97% of the usable operational capacity.Stats on reoffending in the UKJust two in five prisons received a positive rating from inspectors for purposeful activity. In 2018 59,000 people were sent to prison to serve their sentence (69% had committed a non-violent offence)Engagement with education can significantly reduce reoffending. The proven one year re-offending rate is 34% for prisoner learners, compared to 43% for people who don’t engage in any form of learning activity.England, Scotland, and Wales have the highest rate of imprisonment in Western Europe.
Why coffee?Teaching barista and roasting skills in prisons is certainly unique. Read on to hear why we, and many others, think it makes so much sense.Since Redemption Roasters’ inception as the first behind-bars coffee company, many have candidly asked “but why teach cof-fee?”. It’s a good question. When considering the jobs sought by ex-offenders, the role of barista may not immediately come to mind. However, there is a growing trend in the criminal jus-tice system that challenges the limited roles we tend to think of as available for ex-offenders. Simultaneously, third-wave coffee culture has been transforming. The coffee industry, which has been primarily profit-driven, has been opening itself to activism and a model for responsible consumption. It’s precisely this parallel transfor-mation that makes specialty coffee and the criminal justice sys-tem not-so-likely allies. Redemption Roasters may be the first roastery behind bars, but there are many others that see the coffee industry’s potential impact on the lives of ex-offenders. From Riker’s Coffee Academy in New York to New Ground in Oxford, examples abound. It’s not just that specialty coffee offers an individualistic approach to people management either. The coffee industry represents a market-oriented solution to the staggering unem-ployment rate of ex-offenders. The global coffee industry is val-ued at around $88 billion, and it’s growing every year (Chozick 2019). In the UK, full-time baristas make up nearly 8% of the workforce in the foodservice sector and serve an average of 95 million cups of coffee a day (Cebr 2018). >>3232>> Given that only 17% of ex-offenders are in PAYE employ-ment a year after leaving prison (PRT 2019), a job as a barista could be a critical link to softening the blow of reintegration. Time and time again employment has proven to lower recidivism rates. Yet many who have experienced incarcera-tion have also experienced hiring discrimination. These expe-riences aren’t merely anecdotal. A 2016 YouGov survey found that half of all respondents would not consider employing an ex-offender (YouGov 2016). As a result, a criminal history can become a tremendous hurdle to overcome and make the ‘cycle of re-offending’ difficult to break. In contrast, the coffee industry has often advocat-ed for a forgiving attitude to prior convictions. The “Ban the Box” movement, which calls on employers to remove the tick box from application forms that ask about criminal records has gained significant inroads. Industry-leader Starbucks was an early adopter of the movement, with CEO Howard Schultz citing the need for second chances and the reduction in urban unemployment. Many coffee shops, including our own, have fol-lowed suit. This relatively open-minded attitude can prove to be a valuable starting place for ex-offenders. Prisons can be incredibly dehumanizing. Working with coffee in a service role helps reinforce positive relationships and strengthen soft skills. Furthermore, the customer service relationship can ease tensions between officers and inmates, restoring dignity and increasing confidence. As one of our own graduates from HMP Wormwood Scrubs has said, “It’s nice to wake up knowing you have something to look forward to. Since coming to Redemption Roasters, I’ve made friends and gained a qualification in something I now enjoy.”33
Why coffee?Teaching barista and roasting skills in prisons is certainly unique. Read on to hear why we, and many others, think it makes so much sense.Since Redemption Roasters’ inception as the first behind-bars coffee company, many have candidly asked “but why teach cof-fee?”. It’s a good question. When considering the jobs sought by ex-offenders, the role of barista may not immediately come to mind. However, there is a growing trend in the criminal jus-tice system that challenges the limited roles we tend to think of as available for ex-offenders. Simultaneously, third-wave coffee culture has been transforming. The coffee industry, which has been primarily profit-driven, has been opening itself to activism and a model for responsible consumption. It’s precisely this parallel transfor-mation that makes specialty coffee and the criminal justice sys-tem not-so-likely allies. Redemption Roasters may be the first roastery behind bars, but there are many others that see the coffee industry’s potential impact on the lives of ex-offenders. From Riker’s Coffee Academy in New York to New Ground in Oxford, examples abound. It’s not just that specialty coffee offers an individualistic approach to people management either. The coffee industry represents a market-oriented solution to the staggering unem-ployment rate of ex-offenders. The global coffee industry is val-ued at around $88 billion, and it’s growing every year (Chozick 2019). In the UK, full-time baristas make up nearly 8% of the workforce in the foodservice sector and serve an average of 95 million cups of coffee a day (Cebr 2018). >>3232>> Given that only 17% of ex-offenders are in PAYE employ-ment a year after leaving prison (PRT 2019), a job as a barista could be a critical link to softening the blow of reintegration. Time and time again employment has proven to lower recidivism rates. Yet many who have experienced incarcera-tion have also experienced hiring discrimination. These expe-riences aren’t merely anecdotal. A 2016 YouGov survey found that half of all respondents would not consider employing an ex-offender (YouGov 2016). As a result, a criminal history can become a tremendous hurdle to overcome and make the ‘cycle of re-offending’ difficult to break. In contrast, the coffee industry has often advocat-ed for a forgiving attitude to prior convictions. The “Ban the Box” movement, which calls on employers to remove the tick box from application forms that ask about criminal records has gained significant inroads. Industry-leader Starbucks was an early adopter of the movement, with CEO Howard Schultz citing the need for second chances and the reduction in urban unemployment. Many coffee shops, including our own, have fol-lowed suit. This relatively open-minded attitude can prove to be a valuable starting place for ex-offenders. Prisons can be incredibly dehumanizing. Working with coffee in a service role helps reinforce positive relationships and strengthen soft skills. Furthermore, the customer service relationship can ease tensions between officers and inmates, restoring dignity and increasing confidence. As one of our own graduates from HMP Wormwood Scrubs has said, “It’s nice to wake up knowing you have something to look forward to. Since coming to Redemption Roasters, I’ve made friends and gained a qualification in something I now enjoy.”33
“I hope they [Redemption Roasters] are able to help more and more people. Be-cause when people are released they are very vulnerable to re offending and Re-demption is able to provide stability to this problem. If Redemption comes in and provides that initial and long term stability, they would decrease the risk of reoffending and the risk of serious harm.”Probation Officer, London Community Rehabilitation Company
“I hope they [Redemption Roasters] are able to help more and more people. Be-cause when people are released they are very vulnerable to re offending and Re-demption is able to provide stability to this problem. If Redemption comes in and provides that initial and long term stability, they would decrease the risk of reoffending and the risk of serious harm.”Probation Officer, London Community Rehabilitation Company
Success story: JL
Success story: JL
Success story: JLOne of the greatest joys in our line of work is seeing grad-uates successfully go from learning how to make coffee behind bars to smashing out coffees behind the bar of a cafe. Here’s one story we’re particularly keen to tell...James’ journey into the coffee industry began in 2017 as one of our first apprentices at HMYOI Aylesbury. It was obvious from the very beginning that James was meant to be in the coffee industry. His passion for coffee from end-to-end set him apart, and he often took out books from the prison’s library to study before and after workshop hours. He eventually hand-wrote and illustrated a 60-page book on all that he had learned. James was released in October 2019, and began working with us to secure employment in the coffee industry. Luckily for him, he had already impressed the perfect employ-er, New Ground, a growing roastery with a similar mission of employing ex-offenders. James landed a full-time role at New Ground. A few short months later, he took on the title of Head Roaster, which he holds to this day. He’ll soon be starting a VA technician course and hiring his own assistant from the HMP Spring Hill day-release program. We’re blown away by James’ tenacity as well as his talent, and we highly encourage you to try his coffee which can be purchased from www.newgroundcoffee.com.3838“I started at New Ground at the end of 2019 where I’ve progressed to be the head roaster. It’s a job where I can continue learning and I have more training lined up to become a technician too. I love proling amazing coffees from around the world and I’m really proud of how they are all tasting. I’m really grateful for the opportu-nity at Redemption Roasters where I learnt so much. This gave me the platform to come out of pris-on and get a good job, one which I can continue to grow in. Having a good job at New Ground has real-ly helped provide a stable future since I’ve come out of prison.”
Success story: JLOne of the greatest joys in our line of work is seeing grad-uates successfully go from learning how to make coffee behind bars to smashing out coffees behind the bar of a cafe. Here’s one story we’re particularly keen to tell...James’ journey into the coffee industry began in 2017 as one of our first apprentices at HMYOI Aylesbury. It was obvious from the very beginning that James was meant to be in the coffee industry. His passion for coffee from end-to-end set him apart, and he often took out books from the prison’s library to study before and after workshop hours. He eventually hand-wrote and illustrated a 60-page book on all that he had learned. James was released in October 2019, and began working with us to secure employment in the coffee industry. Luckily for him, he had already impressed the perfect employ-er, New Ground, a growing roastery with a similar mission of employing ex-offenders. James landed a full-time role at New Ground. A few short months later, he took on the title of Head Roaster, which he holds to this day. He’ll soon be starting a VA technician course and hiring his own assistant from the HMP Spring Hill day-release program. We’re blown away by James’ tenacity as well as his talent, and we highly encourage you to try his coffee which can be purchased from www.newgroundcoffee.com.3838“I started at New Ground at the end of 2019 where I’ve progressed to be the head roaster. It’s a job where I can continue learning and I have more training lined up to become a technician too. I love proling amazing coffees from around the world and I’m really proud of how they are all tasting. I’m really grateful for the opportu-nity at Redemption Roasters where I learnt so much. This gave me the platform to come out of pris-on and get a good job, one which I can continue to grow in. Having a good job at New Ground has real-ly helped provide a stable future since I’ve come out of prison.”
Donations: The Hardship Fund & Through the Gates 1. Total donationsWe couldn’t do what we do without the help of generous donors. Their contributions fund several projects here at Redemption Roasters. In particular, the Hardship Fund has given graduates the ability to address barriers to job acquisition and maintenance. Here you can see how do-nations were spent.Wales Education Pilot34.9%35.1%30.1%Redemption RoastersHardship Fund2. Hardship fund spending61.5%Permanent Housing5.4%Transportation5.9%Household Necessities19.2%1.0%6.9%Temporary HousingClothingTraining
Donations: The Hardship Fund & Through the Gates 1. Total donationsWe couldn’t do what we do without the help of generous donors. Their contributions fund several projects here at Redemption Roasters. In particular, the Hardship Fund has given graduates the ability to address barriers to job acquisition and maintenance. Here you can see how do-nations were spent.Wales Education Pilot34.9%35.1%30.1%Redemption RoastersHardship Fund2. Hardship fund spending61.5%Permanent Housing5.4%Transportation5.9%Household Necessities19.2%1.0%6.9%Temporary HousingClothingTraining
SROI Executive SummaryWe’ve used Social Value UK resources and model2 to estimate our social return on investment value. Following the SROI prin-ciples, we are providing a conservative estimate of Redemp-tion Roasters’s total social and environmental impact. The following SROI report looks at the social impact of Redemption Roasters’ Education Department (Refer to page numbers where this is shown) from April 2018 to April 2020. In conducting our analysis, we’ve spoken to our primary and wid-er stakeholders – The Ministry of Justice, Probation Officers, graduates and graduate family members - to understand and evaluate how they’ve been affected by our work and discuss our future strategy.1. http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2016/03/The%20Guide%20to%20Social%20Return%20on%20Investment%202015.pdf2. http://www.socialvalueuk.org/resources/Social Return on Investment (SROI)1 is a framework used by social enterprises and non-profit organizations for measuring the social and environmental value they cre-ate through their activities. The metric allows us to ex-press Redemption’s social value for money as a £ amount through a calculation of a cost to benefit ratio.42423. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304899/Quantifying_and_valuing_the_wellbeing_impacts_of_sport_and_culture.pdfIn financial terms, for every £1 that has been invested in Re-demption Roasters Education Department, £3.47 in social val-ue has been created. Our activities directed at fighting recidivism through education, effective job opportunities and support in the employment re-entry process has saved the government £956,000 during the period; 18 barista graduates did not re-offend within a year of release thanks to our intervention. Our programs enhance the wellbeing of offenders dur-ing their time in custody. According to Fujiwara’s Wellbeing Valuation Methodology used by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this has generated an aggregate additional value of £37,800 in the period. The impact of having a loved one in prison is especially profound. Although monetising life improvement gained by in-creasing the frequency of interaction with family and friends is not simple, N. Powdthavee’s3 shadow pricing method estimates £15,500 per family member that can enjoy having a loved one back home .43
SROI Executive SummaryWe’ve used Social Value UK resources and model2 to estimate our social return on investment value. Following the SROI prin-ciples, we are providing a conservative estimate of Redemp-tion Roasters’s total social and environmental impact. The following SROI report looks at the social impact of Redemption Roasters’ Education Department (Refer to page numbers where this is shown) from April 2018 to April 2020. In conducting our analysis, we’ve spoken to our primary and wid-er stakeholders – The Ministry of Justice, Probation Officers, graduates and graduate family members - to understand and evaluate how they’ve been affected by our work and discuss our future strategy.1. http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2016/03/The%20Guide%20to%20Social%20Return%20on%20Investment%202015.pdf2. http://www.socialvalueuk.org/resources/Social Return on Investment (SROI)1 is a framework used by social enterprises and non-profit organizations for measuring the social and environmental value they cre-ate through their activities. The metric allows us to ex-press Redemption’s social value for money as a £ amount through a calculation of a cost to benefit ratio.42423. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304899/Quantifying_and_valuing_the_wellbeing_impacts_of_sport_and_culture.pdfIn financial terms, for every £1 that has been invested in Re-demption Roasters Education Department, £3.47 in social val-ue has been created. Our activities directed at fighting recidivism through education, effective job opportunities and support in the employment re-entry process has saved the government £956,000 during the period; 18 barista graduates did not re-offend within a year of release thanks to our intervention. Our programs enhance the wellbeing of offenders dur-ing their time in custody. According to Fujiwara’s Wellbeing Valuation Methodology used by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this has generated an aggregate additional value of £37,800 in the period. The impact of having a loved one in prison is especially profound. Although monetising life improvement gained by in-creasing the frequency of interaction with family and friends is not simple, N. Powdthavee’s3 shadow pricing method estimates £15,500 per family member that can enjoy having a loved one back home .43
“My mood has been lifted dramatical-ly by the training and I’m now really optimistic and have a more positive outlook on the future.”- Graduate, HMP Wormwood Scrubs“Made me feel that I have got a good future to get out to this time, Pete is a really good tutor. I had a great time on this course.”- Graduate (turned recruit), HMP High Down
“My mood has been lifted dramatical-ly by the training and I’m now really optimistic and have a more positive outlook on the future.”- Graduate, HMP Wormwood Scrubs“Made me feel that I have got a good future to get out to this time, Pete is a really good tutor. I had a great time on this course.”- Graduate (turned recruit), HMP High Down
Our partnersRedemption Roasters is proud to work with some amazing institutions, and are grateful for the help that they provide in order for us to achieve our social mission.ReferencesCentre for Economic and Business Research (2018). The UK Coffee Market and Its Impact on the Economy. [online] brit-ishcoffeeassociation.org. Available at: https://www.britishcof-feeassociation.org/assets/files/uploads/BCA%20CEBR%20-%20The%20economic%20value%20of%20coffee%20in%20the%20UK%2020%20April_FINAL.pdf.Chozick, A. (2019). The Rikers Coffee Academy. The New York Times. [online] 27 Dec. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/business/rikers-island-baristas.html [Accessed 27 Jul. 2020].Prison Reform Trust (2019). Prison: The Facts. [online] prison-reformtrust.org.uk. Available at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Pris-on%20the%20facts%20Summer%202019.pdf.YouGov (2016). YouGov / DWP Survey Results. [online] you-gov.co.uk. Available at: https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/42yrwvixdo/YG-Archive-160126-DWPwaves.pdf.
Our partnersRedemption Roasters is proud to work with some amazing institutions, and are grateful for the help that they provide in order for us to achieve our social mission.ReferencesCentre for Economic and Business Research (2018). The UK Coffee Market and Its Impact on the Economy. [online] brit-ishcoffeeassociation.org. Available at: https://www.britishcof-feeassociation.org/assets/files/uploads/BCA%20CEBR%20-%20The%20economic%20value%20of%20coffee%20in%20the%20UK%2020%20April_FINAL.pdf.Chozick, A. (2019). The Rikers Coffee Academy. The New York Times. [online] 27 Dec. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/business/rikers-island-baristas.html [Accessed 27 Jul. 2020].Prison Reform Trust (2019). Prison: The Facts. [online] prison-reformtrust.org.uk. Available at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Pris-on%20the%20facts%20Summer%202019.pdf.YouGov (2016). YouGov / DWP Survey Results. [online] you-gov.co.uk. Available at: https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/42yrwvixdo/YG-Archive-160126-DWPwaves.pdf.