Bradford rioters are expected to get tailor-made packages to help them find work when they come out of jail.

Organisations and agencies across the district are joining forces to provide education, training and jobs in a bid to prevent further criminal behaviour when they are released.

They will be involved in prison visits to teach basic skills, including reading and writing, and identifying other problems before large numbers of offenders hit the streets in about two year's time.

Government officers will be involved in the project, which is expected to be a national pilot scheme on the rehabilitation of offenders.

The organisations claim doing nothing is not an option in an unprecedented situation where large numbers of men are to be released at about the time, some of them living in the same areas.

West Yorkshire Assistant Chief Probation Officer, Mark Siddall, said: "Nobody in this group would condone what has been done but we are starting out on the basis that nobody wants a repeat."

He said employment had been identified in extensive research as a key issue in attempts to stop people committing other crimes when they were released from jail.

The national pilot scheme will be led by Bradford Vision - a partnership agency with members representing all of the district's leading organisations.

Mr Siddall said that, like all other prisoners, the rioters would receive risk assessments before they left and any other issues, like solvent abuse or housing problems - which may lead to further crime, would be dealt with.

He said research showed about 80 per cent of young people committed offences after leaving prisons, which were "good universities" for learning about crime.

But today two riot victims criticised the scheme as "special treatment" which the violent criminals did not deserve.

David McCann, whose DIY store was smashed and torn apart in the night of violence in July last year, said: "I don't agree with it. They have had their chances all the way through the education system. We are keeping going, but people are not coming into the area because of this. Many have suffered."

Raymond Smith, whose wife Julia is licensee of the Bradford Arms which was fire bombed, said: "I think it is over the top. They knew exactly what they were doing and the experience has lived with us for a long time."

Bradford Vision chief executive Sharmila Ghandi said the aims were to prevent another riot and to reduce re-offending and the number of victims.

"If we really care about the district and its future, this piece of work is absolutely critical," she said.

Frontline Bradford: Riots and Race Review

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