TEN former inmates at Dartmoor Prison have found full time work thanks to an innovative work experience project. The Dartmoor Rehabilitation Project is a partnership between the prison and the Forestry Commission offering selected low-risk offenders skills training, work experience and mentoring. Prisoners help manage forests on Dartmoor under the scheme, which is the first of its kind in the region. Since 2004, 17 prisoners have taken part in the programme, with ten going on to work in tree surgery, gardening and landscape work and others taking part in skills training. Only one of the 17 has re-offended compared to Home Office figures which show that nearly two- thirds of prisoners re-offend. The Forestry Commission offers a three-month contract to inmates on their release to help manage the moor. The £200,000 scheme is also supported by Devon Renaissance, the Probation Service and Dartmoor National Park Authority. Press officer for Dartmoor Prison Dave Crawford said this was all about partnership working. 'It is just one initiative between the prison and the local community to reduce offending and it clearly works because ten prisoners have ended up in full time employment,' he said. 'We are focusing on prisoners coming back to the South West and engaging with local communities because at the end of the day they are going to be living in those communities.'