Shortages of prison staff and a lack of training means not enough
prisoners are able to improve their reading - according to a new
report by Ofsted and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.
In March 2022, Ofsted and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons
(HMIP) published a joint review of reading education in prisons,
which highlighted the barriers preventing prisoners from
receiving the support they need and made several recommendations
that were accepted by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service
(HMPPS) and prison governors.
Today, a follow-up report to last year’s review finds that, while
some progress has been made in meeting those recommendations,
improvements in key areas such as screening, assessment,
resourcing and strategy development have been too slow.
The report also finds:
- HMPPS and governors have not secured sufficient specialist
training for staff.
- Prison leaders have not provided ample opportunities for
prisoners to access the library.
- Prison leaders do not encourage regular attendance at reading
classes.
- Leaders do not provide enough classes for English for
speakers of other languages (ESOL).
- Prison leaders have not used assessments that can identify
the specific reading knowledge and skills that prisoners are
missing or need to improve.
- Prison leaders have not established and communicated clear
pathways to help prisoners improve their reading skills.
- Prison leaders do not match the ambition of their reading
strategies with the required level of detail in their action
plans.
The report acknowledges that the prison system is still facing
challenges as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, including
staffing problems, which have contributed to the delays in making
necessary improvements in prison reading education.
Ofsted and HMIP have issued additional recommendations for prison
leaders and management, including fast-tracking the
implementation and use of the new HMPPS reading tool and
providing urgent support for ESOL learners.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman,
said:
“Time and again, the crucial role that education can play when it
comes to the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners has
taken a back seat. It’s vital that prisoners have frequent and
fulfilling educational opportunities that can increase their
chances of success in life – and being able to read well is
fundamental.
“But improving prisoners’ reading is not possible unless there
are clear educational plans in place in prisons, and enough
well-trained staff, equipped with the right tools to help improve
prisoners’ reading.
“It’s reassuring that prison leaders and governors have
acknowledged the importance of reading, but it’s disappointing
that progress is still too slow.”
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor,
said:
“We continue to be very concerned about how slowly prisons are
emerging from pandemic restrictions and nowhere is this more
evident than in education: classrooms remain empty, and access to
libraries is limited.
“If people cannot read, they will struggle to find work when they
leave prison and it becomes far more likely that they will
reoffend. There needs to be far greater commitment from education
providers and prison leaders to putting improving literacy at the
heart of what they do.”
Notes to editors
- Ofsted and HMIP reviewed the evidence bases and final reports
for 24 inspections which took place between October 2022 and 31
March 2023.
‘The quality of reading
education in prisons: one year on’ report.
