EDUCATION IN PRISON

• PRISONER EDUCATION: KEY FACTS

  • High levels of undiagnosed and diagnosed learning difficulties.
  • Multiple exclusions, and negative or disruptive experiences of formal education (Stewart, 2008).
  • High prevalence of poor English and maths at entry to prison (Creese, 2015). 
  • Each year, over 100,000 adult prisoners, usually, (pre covid) participate in prison learning. 
  • Ofsted rates this provision. Most ‘Require Improvement’ or are ‘Inadequate’. 
  • There are estimates to be over 4000 teachers (exclusive around 1200 ‘industry’ instructors) working in prisons. 
• PRISONER EDUCATION: KEY FACTS

  • More prisoners are assessed on arrival at prison as having English and Maths at Entry level 1-3 (equivalent to expected primary school levels) than level q and 2 combined (GCSE level).
  • Nearly one third of prisoners self-identified as having a learning difficulty and/or disability. 
• PRISONER EDUCATION: KEY FACTS

  • Out of 101,600 learners, under the present OLASS (offenders’ learning and Skills Service) contracts for prison education, only 100 prisoners participated in a full level 3 course in 2014/15 (equivalent to A level), with none participating as Level 4 or above. 
  • One fifth of prisoners say they would have preferred to be studying at a higher level than they were currently. 
• BROMLEY BRIEFING FACTS 

  • The educational background of children of children in custody is poor - nearly nine out of 10 children (89%) in YOIs said they had been excluded from school. 
  • Over 2/5 (42%) said that they were aged 14 or younger when they were cats at school. 
  • 79% of children in YOIs said they were taking part in education. However 9% were in vocational or skills training.
• MORE NUMBERS 

  • 47% of prisoners reported having no qualifications. 
  • 42% of adult prisoners report having been permanently excluded from school. 
  • 21% reported needing help with reading, writing or numeracy.
  • 5% were educated beyond A level (3% a degree).
  • Yet - only one in ten prisoners - “learning is not for people like me” (Hopkins, 2021). 
  • 45% reconnected within one year of release. 
  • Annual cost of re-offending £9.5 - 13bn. 
• AND YET…

  • Engagement with education can significantly reduce reoffending (Ministry of justice and Department for Education, 2017). 
• ORGANISATION OF PRISON EDUCATION 

  • Each prison has an education department (and library). 
  • Most prison education is contracted out: 
  • Offender Learning and skills service contract. 
  • Four regional providers. 
  • Also workshops/gym (should) offer courses. 
  • Voluntary Sector. 
  • Distance Learning. 
• HIGHER EDUCATION 

  • Prisoners over 24yrs no longer have free access to level 2. 
  • OLASS providers cannot easily fund courses above level 2. 
  • Open University began in prison in 1969. 
  • Government department for business innovation and skills used to pay for prisoner education now charities are the only grants available.
  • Since 2010 numbers of degrees also dropped considerably. 
• CASE STUDY: SPORTS BASED LEARNING

  • ‘Fit for Release’ - Meek, Champion & Klier (2012).
  • Alternative social networks.
  • Employability. 
  • Embedding numeracy and literacy. 
  • “Hard to reach” individuals. 
  • Positive well-being. 
  • Increase autonomy & competence. 
• COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR 

  • Saracens Foundations - Get onside Feltham. 
  • Koestler Trust. 
  • Fine Cell Work. 
  • Learning and Work Institute - Family Learning in Prisons. 
  • Nacro - Charity delivering specialist education for 12-18yr olds. 
  • Clinks – Support for voluntary organisations working with offenders and families - more than 7,000 prison volunteers. 
• EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS?

  Moving from a ‘prisoner to a ‘learner’ (Pike, 2014): What might be the implications for this? 

  • ‘Learning is not for someone like me’ 

  Vs 

  • ‘Education set me free’ 
  • Prisons can become places of ‘hope and transofrmation’ (Inderbitzen 2012). 
• LEARNING JOURNEYS  

  • Prison indication.
  • Universal English & maths assessments (since 2014). 
  • Mostly literacy, numeracy and basic ICT.
  • Classes - in the morning and afternoon (when a ‘normal’ regime is operating…). 
•  WHAT IS PRISON EDUCATION FOR? THE TRADITIONAL MODEL

  1. Education
  2. Skills and Qualifications
  3. Employment
  4. Reduction in reoffending
•  A MORE HOLISTIC MODEL

  Prison culture:

  • Wellbeing
  • Human Capital - a) Motivation to change. b)Moving forward.
  • Social Capital - a)Belonging and Community. b)Active Engagement.
  • Knowledge, skills and employability.
• WELLBEING AND MEANINGFUL ACTIVITY 

  • Education improves mental health outcomes for prisoners (NOMS, 2013). 
  • Education is a protective factor against self harm, suicide violence (Ombudsman, 2014). 
  • Education provides a coping mechanism (Hughes, 2012). 
  • Education as a ‘third space’, distinct from the rest of the prison (physically and emotionally) (Wilson, 1999; 2000; 2003).
  • Time spent in education is often time out of cell and a form of meaningful activity.
• HUMAN CAPITAL

  MOTIVATION TO CHANGE 

  • Space for reflection 
  • Promotes aspiration 
  • Created opportunities for choice and control.
  • Encourages imagination of a different world view. 
  • Exposure to different ideas and role models. 

  MOVING FORWARD 

  • Learn to appreciate strengths. 
  • Rehearse success.
  • Experience pride and progress.
  • Learn to express self in a positive way. 
  • Learn to overcome setbacks.
• SOCIAL CAPITAL

  • Learning spaces are more likely to have horizontal relationships (Crewe et al, 2013). 
  • Pro-social communities can develop: sharing positive (and negative) experiences and establishing trust and respect. 
  • Collaboration and working together.
  • Implications for the culture of the whole prison: see Bennalick’s work. 
• KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT

  • Employment - particularly if it offers a sense of achievement, satisfaction or mastery, can support offenders in stopping offending (Uggen and Staff 2001). 
  • Low level literacy and numeracy skills prohibit access to the majority of jobs.
  • Vocational qualifications can support trades: some employers recruit directly from prisons. 
  • Can gain experience of working in a structural manner and develop a wide range of skills (including ‘soft’ skills) linked to a wider conception of ‘employability’. 
• DESISTANCE THEORY

  • ‘A process of human development in social context; one that involves moving away from offending and into compliance with law and social norms.’ (McNeil, 2014). 

  SOME DISTINCTIONS IN THE MODEL

  Reoffending: 

  • Personal deficits.
  • Educational ‘needs’ 
  • Narrow conceptions of ‘employability’. 

  Desistance 

  • Building strengths.
  • Educational aspirations. 
  • Towards a wider conception of employability. 
• BARRIERS TO LEARNING IN PRISON 

  ‘Importation effects’ - issues brought into the prison:

  • Negative experiences of education.
  • Low confidence and self esteem. 
  • Issues of engagement. 

  ‘Deprivation effects’ - issues associated with the prison environment:

  • IT access 
  • Pay scales - difference between work and education.
  • Engaging courses.
  • Length of classes.
  • Environment conclusive to learning.
  • Staffing 
  • Safety 
  • And covid 
• PRISON EDUCATION: THE CHANGING POLICY LANDSCAPE

  Policy context: Coates Review (2016) - instructed by Gove

  Key areas for improvement:

  • A clear accountability framework.
  • Building the capacity of all those who work in a prison.
  • A personalised and inclusive approach to learning.
  • Higher level learning. 
  • ICT that supports learning.
  • Better support for employment, education and training on release.
• VOCATIONAL TRAINING 

  • Hospitality (The Clink prison restaurants)
  • Horticulture 
  • Construction training
  • Railway training (rail track)
  • Cycle mechanics (for example, Halfords)
  • Greggs academy
  • Timpson
  • Barbering
  • Hairdressing Beauty therapy