Questions raised over ‘market research’ prison work scheme

A report, first published by the Daily Mail, reveals that prisoners at HMP Oakwood and Drake Hall are earning £20 a week conducting “market research” surveys, where they use a script to confirm names and postcodes of households and the value of their possessions.

However, according to the Mail, prisoners are also told to ask households if they would like to save money on their home insurance, which has prompted concerns that an element of sugging – selling under the guise of research – might be involved.

MRS chief executive Jane Frost said the MRS was supportive of attempts to rehabilitate offenders through skills training, but was “always concerned when there is a suggestion that quality and ethics are not being adhered to in the practice of market research”.

She said: “We would hope that this research is being conducted by an accredited MRS partner according to the rules of the MRS Code of Conduct.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman could not confirm whether the work was being conducted under the MRS Code of Conduct, and neither the Justice spokesman nor G4S, which runs HMP Oakwood, would give details of the companies involved.

However, G4S denied that prisoners were engaged in sugging. It said the questions being asked formed part of “a lifestyle survey”. A spokeswoman said: “The call centre at HMP Oakwood is one of many partnerships we run with businesses, and enables prisoners to work towards apprenticeships and industry-recognised qualifications. The prisoners receive training and we comply fully with all codes of conduct.”