Year: 2016
Type: other
Abstract: Putting education at the heart of the prison regime1. Education in prison should give individuals the skills they need to unlock their potential, gain employment, and become assets to their communities.It is one of the pillars of effective rehabilitation.Education should build social capital and improve the well-being of prisoners during their sentences.2. Improved prison education can transform individual prisoners' lives, but it can also benefit society by building safer communities and reducing the significant financial and social costs arising from reoffending.The cost of current levels of reoffending has been estimated to be £9.5-£13 billion per year 1 . Recognition of the importance of education in prisons appears to have been lost.There are pockets of good practice, with examples of 'Outstanding' education provision, but these are isolated.There does not appear to be any systematic way for prisons and Governors to learn from one another.4. Education is more than a service provided by OLASS providers in classrooms or workshops.All areas of the prison regime should be considered suitable for learning.My vision for prison education is holistic.It includes: basic skills development in maths, English and ICT, through intensive courses, one-to-one support from other prisoners, or embedded in workshop or other work settings (e.g.kitchens and gardens); high quality vocational training and employability skills that prepare individuals for jobs on release (e.g. through industrial work and training designed with and for employers); Personal and Social Development (PSD), including behaviour programmes, family-and relationship-learning, and practical skills (e.g.parenting, finance, and domestic management); proper support for the needs of prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD); provision of arts, music and sport activities; enterprise and self-employment support and training; self-directed study; learning facilitated by ICT, including distance-learning that can support qualifications from entry level up to degree level; advice and guidance that ensures individuals make informed choices about education and future employment and career options; and Annex D: An illustration of the range of individuals who can influence a prisoner's education
Author: Sally Coates
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2504621335