Powerful. That was the word that came to mind from this interview with Dave Maguire, the CEO of charity Back on Track, who reflected on his own life as a nationally respected leader, researcher and award-winning author. His journey from school expulsion and imprisonment to a doctorate from the University of Oxford and charity leadership gives him a rare ability to draw on lived, academic and professional experience.<\/p>\n
Raised in Oldham, Dave told how he was expelled from school at 15. As a young man without qualifications, he became involved in criminal cultures and drug addiction, leading to multiple periods of imprisonment.<\/p>\n
In Strangeways prison in the 1990s, shortly after the riots of 1989, he met Maggie, a retired teacher whose commitment and carefully chosen books helped open the door to learning. Dave also reflected on being neurodivergent\u2014a part of his experience that neither he nor his school understood at the time.<\/p>\n
Over the 25-year career that followed, Dave has worked across homelessness, housing, education, prisons and the wider criminal justice system, combining frontline practice, rigorous research and strategic leadership to improve opportunities for people facing exclusion.<\/p>\n
A central theme of the conversation was how employers can help people build a different future after prison. Dave recognised James Timpson\u2019s advocacy for employing people with convictions and pointed to other examples of inclusive employment. But he cautioned that opportunities can too often go to people who are already work-ready, while those most in need of experience and support remain harder to reach. Meaningful routes into work\u2014and employers willing to look beyond a person\u2019s record\u2014can make a real difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose that we need to get in to get some work culture and work experience are often the hardest ones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dave also challenged the idea that prison work automatically prepares people for life outside. He described workshops where people may earn only a small amount for their labour, and argued that more needs to be done to improve employment outcomes after release.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0asked<\/span> guests in the meeting room at Fieldfisher’s office not to think<\/span> about<\/span> prisoners<\/span> as<\/span> this<\/span> homogenous<\/span> group.<\/span> “It’s<\/span> made<\/span> up<\/span> of,<\/span> although<\/span> many<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> poorest<\/span> end<\/span> up<\/span> there,<\/span> there<\/span> are<\/span> people<\/span> who have lost their lives and <\/span>careers<\/span> who<\/span> end<\/span> up<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> Timpson<\/span> shop,<\/span> and<\/span> those<\/span> that<\/span> might<\/span> have<\/span> run<\/span> big,<\/span> massive<\/span> business<\/span> companies<\/span> will<\/span> end<\/span> up<\/span>\u00a0cutting<\/span> the<\/span> keys.<\/span><\/p>\n He also wanted to make clear that the chairity also helps people who’s never been in the criminal justice system. “They might just have a issue, a learning difficulty, or mental health problems, or kind of isolated, or facing other forms of multiple disadvantages, but then we will work with some of the most serious people who have committed offences that that people that would mean many many other doors are closed to them, and so we have a range of work that we do, and and it stems from offering a community, offering somewhere warm and something to eat.”<\/p>\n Back on Track helps people facing a range of challenges through its learning centre, criminal justice work and practical advocacy. Dave said Fieldfisher\u2019s volunteering and fundraising had been a lifeline, while warning that the charity faces a significant funding gap as it approaches its 50th anniversary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dave Maguire, the CEO of charity Back on Track, reflected on his life as a nationally respected leader, researcher and award-winning author<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":264565,"featured_media":2180876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[120784],"coauthors":[116163],"class_list":["post-2180875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-featured-story","tag-northwest"],"yoast_head":"\n