Failing to teach prisoners to read leaves up to half unable to
access vital rehabilitative education while in prison, according
to new research by Ofsted and HMI Prisons. Without the ability to
read, released prisoners will find it harder to make a successful
return to society.
The joint report, published today, highlights the barriers
preventing prisoners from receiving the support they need to
learn how to read or improve their reading skills. It finds the
reading education on offer in many of the prisons visited by the
inspectorates was minimal at best.
The inspectorates found that leaders’ focus was on enrolling
prisoners on courses aimed at gaining qualifications, even though
up to 50% of the prisoner population could not read well enough
to take part. As a result, prisoners who need the most support
with education are largely overlooked.
The report finds that, in most prisons, the curriculum is not
focused on reading but on practising for exams. Prisoners are not
encouraged to enjoy reading, to apply their reading skills across
their life, or to read whole books. Many staff did not know how
to teach reading. This lack of adequate reading education means
that quality support has been left to voluntary organisations or
enthusiastic staff members.
In addition, prisons do not have systems in place to identify
prisoners’ reading needs or track their progress. In most of the
prisons visited for the research, routine phonics screening
assessments were not being used to identify the gaps in
prisoners’ knowledge and skills, and information on prisoners’
learning was not routinely shared with other prisons.
Today’s report also notes the benefits of prison libraries and
how they can encourage prisoners to read. Unfortunately, the use
of libraries continues to be severely limited due to practical
constraints, such as staff shortages and time clashes with
prisoners’ working hours or other education sessions.
In light of the findings, Ofsted and HMI Prisons are calling for
reading education to be offered as a distinct part of the prison
education programme. Governors should lead an approach to get
prisoners reading for “pleasure, purpose and rehabilitation”.
This needs an ambitious strategy to improve prisoners’ reading
skills, the use of prison libraries, and better systems to
assess, monitor and share information on prisoners’ reading
ability and progress.
Ofsted Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman said:
“This research shines a light on the reading education that
prisoners are getting, or in most cases, the lack of it. There
are some serious systemic challenges, as well as plenty of poor
practice. Little progress has been made in the priority of
education since the Coates Review in 2016. I want Ofsted, with
the prison service and wider government leaders, to be part of
the solution to this enormous and enduring problem.”
HMI Prisons Chief Inspector, Charlie Taylor
said:
“The failure to teach prisoners to read or to extend the literacy
of poor readers is a huge missed opportunity. It means many
prisoners do not get the benefits of reading while in prison. And
it means that many will fail to learn the essential skills that
will help them to resettle, get work and make a success of their
lives when they are released.”
Ofsted and HMIP have long been concerned about the standards of
education in prisons and particularly by the number of prisoners
who are unable to read. Last September, the inspectorates
committed to carrying out a year-long review of prison education,
which included this research into reading in prisons.
For today’s report, inspectors carried out 6 research visits to
prisons and conducted deep dives into reading, which included
observing English classes. Inspectors also interviewed leaders,
teachers and prisoners engaged in education, visited the prison
library and reviewed curriculum plans and assessment data.
