At Redemption, we’re on a mission to reduce reoffending through coffee; so how do we do this?⁠

Redemption Roasters is a speciality coffee company on a mission to reduce reoffending in the UK. Our coffee is roasted inside prison at HMP The Mount, and we reduce reoffending by employing prison residents behind bars at our roastery, and prison leavers in our ten coffee shops across London.

Life can be very challenging when leaving prison and our aim is to provide the positive environment and stability needed to lead a positive life away from the criminal justice system.

How does Redemption Roasters support individuals into employment?

We offer barista and technical training within three UK prisons (HMP High Down, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, and HMP Pentonville), and within the community at our HQ.⁠

In prison, our trainers teach prison residents the skills they need to kick-start their careers in the coffee industry. At the end of each course, all learners are assessed on theoretical and practical knowledge to ensure they are prepared to take their next steps into sustainable employment on release from prison.⁠

Anyone who has gone through our in-prison academies and been released, will enter our community training for top-up training. Individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system or those who are identified as at risk of offending are also able to join our HQ training.⁠

⁠Once training has been completed, trial shifts are available, before employment within our range of coffee shops across London.⁠

Other support

Our Impact Team and shop managers provide other wellbeing and development support to our participants, to help them with the transition into sustainable employment, and with other obstacles they may face. This includes one-to-one support, to maximise the likelihood of our participants successfully transitioning into sustainable employment.

We also support participants into further employment opportunities away from hospitality, when they are ready to move on.

Our roastery at HMP The Mount

Not only do we run barista academies, but we also operate the world’s first behind bars coffee roastery. Our roastery is located at HMP The Mount in Hemel Hempstead. Here, the prison residents working in the roastery are taught the practical skills involved in coffee roasting, production, and logistics.

These prisoners are paid above the standard rate for prison employment, with a portion of their wages being set aside for them to access upon release from prison. This aims to give them a headstart when reintegrating into society.