考研英语经济学人文章阅读训练五十四

Jobs for jailbirds
为囚犯提供工作
Getting prisoners into work seems to reduce reoffending
让囚犯工作似乎可以减少他们再次犯罪的几率
A convicted thief is sent to prison and struggles to adjust to his new environment until his culinary talents are discovered.By a very roundabout route,his kitchen skills lead to his rehabilitation.That is the plot of“Paddington2”,a family film from2017.
一个小偷被判定有罪而关进了监狱，他努力适应着新环境，直到他的烹饪才能被人们所发现。

经过一段迂回曲折的历程，他凭借着精湛的厨艺恢复了自由。

这便是2017年上映的家庭片《帕丁顿熊2》的故事情节。

It might also serve as the template for Clink.The charity trains prisoners in hospitality and catering,and ran five restaurants and cafés in Britain before the national lockdown brought about by the covid-19pandemic.
这部电影或许也为慈善机构Clink提供了灵感。

该慈善机构为囚犯们提供服务及烹饪方面的培训，其在英国经营着5家餐馆和咖啡馆，直到新冠肺炎疫情的爆发才被迫停业。

It trained441prisoners last year.They achieved225educational certificates.Over280employers have agreed to hire Clink graduates. Some ex-convicts have gone on to become head chefs at hotels.
去年共有441名囚犯接受了Clink的培训，其中有225人拿到了结业证书。

超过280家企业表示愿意雇佣Clink的毕业生。

一些有前科的人最终得以成为酒店的主厨。

Prisons are in the news because of the threat covid-19poses to people locked up in a confined space.Some have been released early.But in
normal times,which will one day return,getting prisoners back to work is one of the best ways to help their rehabilitation.
监狱最近常常会出现在新闻中，这是因为新冠肺炎对那些被关押在封闭空间的人构成了威胁。

一些囚犯因此提前获释。

但在平时（疫情总有一天会成为过去式），让囚犯重返工作岗位是帮助他们回归社会的一种最好的方式。

A study by the Justice Data Lab,a British government body,conducted between2009and2016showed that15%of Clink alumni reoffended, compared with22%for other jailbirds with similar records.
据英国政府机构司法数据实验室在2009-2016年进行的一项研究显示，有15％的Click 毕业生会再次犯罪，相比之下，其他有类似犯罪记录的人再次犯罪的比例为22%。

Clink is not alone.Take Ali Niaz,a former drug dealer who managed to get an A-level in business during his time in prison.After his release,and a course at Madingley Hall in Cambridge,he became a business and life coach.
并非仅有Clink在这么做。

以阿里·尼亚兹为例，他曾经是一名毒贩，在服刑期间学习了商业课程，并取得了A的好成绩。

获释后，他又在剑桥马丁利礼堂进修，最终成为了一名商业和生活教练。

He also runs a social enterprise helping ex-offenders and set up the Feel Good Bakery,where ex-prisoners make sandwiches for office workers(or did until the pandemic,though it is still paying its staff).
他还经营着一家为刑满释放人员提供帮助的社会企业，并创办了一家“感觉良好面包店”，这家面包店专门雇佣刑满释放人员为上班族制作三明治（面包店由于疫情的爆发而停工，但仍然在向员工支付工资）。

Mr Niaz received help from the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ),a transatlantic charity run by Celia Ouellette,a former death-row lawyer in America.She points out that2.2m Americans,the population of a large metropolis,are locked up.America also has perhaps5m ex-offenders.RBIJ helps businesses trying to employ both groups.
尼亚兹得到了RBIJ的帮助，RBIJ是一家由美国前死囚律师西莉亚·厄勒莱特经营的跨大西洋慈善机构。

她指出，美国大约有220万（相当于一个大城市的总人口）名囚犯，500万名前科人员。

RBIJ正是在帮助那些试图雇佣这两个群体的企业。

One of those is Televerde,a call-centre operator from Arizona.Ron Bell,its founder,was involved in prison administration and got a contract with the state of Arizona to provide work and training for female inmates.
来自亚利桑那州的呼叫中心运营商Televerde便是其中一家。

该公司的创始人罗恩·贝尔曾参与过监狱管理，他与亚利桑那州签订了一份为女囚犯提供工作和培训的协议。

Now the company operates seven call centres in women’s correctional facilities,focusing on business-to-business marketing and sales.The women work40hours a week:part of their wage goes toward their upkeep,part can be spent in prison and the rest goes into a savings account for when they get out.
如今，该公司在女子监狱中经营着7家呼叫中心，专注于企业对企业的营销和销售。

这些女囚犯每周工作40个小时：她们工资的一部分用于维持生计，一部分可以在监狱中消费，剩下的存起来等出狱后再用。

Around40%of people at the Televerde corporate office are ex-prisoners. Some released on Friday start work there the next Monday.One former
inmate,Michelle Cirocco,who has been with the company for21years, has held high executive positions,in charge of marketing and corporate social responsibility.
在Televerde公司的办公室里，近40％的员工都是刑满释放人员。

有些人周五获释，周一便前来上班。

米歇尔·希罗科曾经是一名囚犯，如今已经在这家公司工作了21年，一直担任着高管职位，负责营销和企业社会责任。

Not everyone who worked for Televerde while inside will find a job at headquarters when they leave.But the skills they learn are still useful;a study by Arizona State University shows that94%of ex-Televerde workers have jobs after five years,earning3.7times the average wage for former convicts.
并不是所有在Televerde工作过的囚犯都能在出狱后到公司总部谋求一份工作。

但她们学到的技能仍然有用；据亚利桑那州立大学的一项研究显示，94％的前Televerde员工在出狱5年后仍然有工作，而他们的收入是前科人员平均工资的3.7倍。

Writing individuals off for life is not just callous.It also is economically inefficient.Society will be better if more jailbirds find jobs—be they those released early because of covid-19or those still serving time.
因为一个人有前科而将他一竿子打死，这不仅是残酷无情的，而且也不利于经济发展。

如果有更多的囚犯（无论是那些因新冠肺炎疫情而提前出狱的人还是那些仍在服刑的人）能够找到工作，那么这个社会将会变得更美好。

(红色标注词为重难点词汇)
重难点词汇：
culinary[ˈkʌlɪneri]adj.烹饪的；食物的
alumnus[əˈlʌmnəs]n.校友；毕业生
correctional[kəˈrekʃənl]adj.矫正的；修正的
callous[ˈkæləs]adj.无情的；麻木的。