Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said today that new research shows 93 per cent of businesses are not comfortable hiring a former inmate.

Speaking at the Corradino prison, Mr Abela said a University study shows that two-thirds of inmates who left the prison in 2010 ended up back behind bars.

This figure decreased to 42 per cent last year. The same study highlighted inmates’ lack of employability as being a major factor.

Mr Abela said equality and inclusivity should be promoted in the world of work, particularly for former inmates.

A €275,606 project has been launched in order to improve inmates’ employability, the Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds Ian Borg said.