A Second Chance

Synopsis

A Second Chance is a campaigning feature-length documentary that casts a spotlight onto one of the most marginalised groups in today's society: Former prisoners. Over 90,000 people are currently in UK prisons. Almost two thirds of those released are convicted of another crime within 12 months if they fail to find work - 50 per cent more than those who do find a job. And yet the vast majority of employers openly admit they will not employ an ex-offender. A Second Chance confronts stereotypes and public perceptions by presenting both serving and ex-prisoners as real people with real problems. We meet inmate Tracey, horrifically abused as a child, she was brought up by the care system and has faced violence throughout her life. And David, playboy drug-dealer and part-time DJ, serving his third prison sentence. Both are on the cusp of release, and both have a unique opportunity to enter Timpson's pioneering prison training programme that offers genuine employment at the point of release. This is a film about hope. It is about the transformative power of work for those that genuinely want to change, and how employment can dramatically reduce the rate of reoffending for society as a whole.