Guangzhou prisoner job fair

A total of 196 soon-to-be-released prisoners attended a job fair held by a local prison in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, where 13 companies offered over 400 positions to prisoners on Sunday.

Prisoners showed a strong interest in the job fair. Two thirds of eligible prisoners, who are set to be released in a year or less, went, the Guangzhou Daily reported Monday.

The companies ranged from shoe and clothes factories to auto parts and logistics companies. A total of 153 resumes were received.

A staff member from the prison, who was unwilling to be identified, told the Global Times that the prison holds job fairs to help prisoners reintegrate into society.

"They occur irregularly, based on the recruitment needs of companies and calls from human resource authorities to provide opportunities for prisoners," he said, adding that they will know whether they get the job after they are released.

The income provided by the companies at the job fair showed little difference from ordinary job fairs, with a driver in a logistics company earning a monthly salary of 3,500 ($567) to 6,000 yuan, the report said.

Xia Xueluan, a sociology professor at Peking University, told the Global Times that practical courses imitating the real situation in society should be taken by prisoners during their transitional period before they are released, in an effort to make them gradually adapt to life outside.

"It may be difficult for these people to find jobs or deal with society when they suddenly leave the prison," Xia added.

"Letting soon-to-be-released prisoners do community service is also good during the transitional period," Xia said.

Companies said that they will keep the information of the released prisoners confidential as other employees may not like being colleagues with them.

"At first the companies showed concerns over hiring released prisoners," the report quoted an official from Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau as saying.

"But after those companies visited the prison, they changed their attitude as they were satisfied with the strict training and management," the official added.

The prison has launched 24 training programs for various skills since 2010, including shoe making, sewing, storehouse keeping and sales. A total of 1,939 of 1,959 participants have obtained national job qualification certificates.

While the public has applauded what the prison has done, some still voice their concerns over the current high unemployment rate, especially for college graduates.

Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor of sociology at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that the prison authorities are making the right decision, as helping prisoners could prevent the situation that those released would endanger public security again because they have no jobs.

"The unemployment issue should be tackled from a comprehensive perspective by the central government, but the prison authorities have achieved their aim by providing job opportunities for prisoners," Zhou added.