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Barclays Bank is sending female staff members into prisons across the country to recruit inmates as new customers.
The High Street bank has chosen the unusual tactic to boost the number of account holders, but critics have labelled the scheme scandalous, the Daily Mail reports.
The female customer services workers have been sent to 17 jails including Parkhurst and Albany on the Isle of Wight, where large numbers of sex offenders and paedophiles are held, according to reports.
A source at HMP Isle of Wight said: "The bank has a captive market of accounts by cashing in on prison inmates.
"And remember they are sending in young women and men to deal with hardened criminals. It doesn't seem right."
Barclays said the program was about promoting 'financial inclusion' of people who had no accounts.
The bank says the scheme enabled prisoners to manage their money.
A Prison Service spokesman says: "Engaging the expertise of independent organisations like business and charities is vital to changing people's lives and stopping the revolving door of crime."
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Prison record
It is very difficult to open a bank account with any bank in the High Street due to MLR. Surely all inmates of prisons will disqualify themselves because they, by definition, have criminal records!? Certainly those with convictions for fraud and money laundering cannot open a bank account with the knowledge of a bank employee or they are obliged to report to the compliance officer or whistle blow? A standard motor insurance questionnaire now asks if you have a criminal record - surely a bank personal questionnaire asks the same? All banks are jokes of course, thats why we are now increasing vat to 20%!
Posted by: Trevor Jones
In Good Company !
Some of their and other banks big earners should be inmates along with many of their unscrupulous investment and insurance sales people. Not all of the theiving class are in prison. The really big time ones are still alive and well and running banks, other large companies or in politics. When they do get found out they engage clever lawyers and get off almost scot free.
Posted by: John Smyth
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Join Barclays, go to prison!
Presumably they're only visiting their ex-colleagues! Bet the money laundering checks will be interesting! or perhaps they're just checking out the place, to see what its like, just in case the FSA ever catches up with them
Posted by: Dermot Brannigan