The
Education Committee has launched an inquiry
into prison education.
The inquiry links into the
Committee’s overall aims and work examining the issues faced by
left behind groups and how education can support everyone to
ensure they have the opportunity to succeed in life. It also
builds on the work of the inquiry into adult skills and lifelong
learning.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has made
the delivery of education challenging across the board this year,
provision has been significantly impacted for those in
custody.
A disproportionate number of those in
custody have low levels of literacy and numeracy. The Prisoner
Learning Alliance reports that nearly two-thirds of prisoners have truanted from
school and 42% were expelled or permanently
excluded.
People in prison also have a high level of additional learning
and other needs. Around 47% of those entering prison have no
prior qualifications.
The inquiry will examine to what
degree adults in prison and younger learners in custody can
access suitable education that meets their needs, how effective
current arrangements are in ensuring prisoners continue in
training and employment on release and how this reduces
reoffending. It will also look at the education opportunities for
those serving longer sentences.
The Committee will consider what
needs to happen to ensure prison education delivers the skills
needed by employers and the economy, and how apprenticeships can
work in a custodial setting.
The Committee is interested in how
school exclusion policy impacts on youth custody and how
alternative provision settings support young people who
experience challenges in education and learning.
According to a joint
report by the
Ministry of Justice and the Department
for Education, prisoners involved in any sort of
education have a significantly lower reoffending rate on release
compared with their peers. A briefing
by The Prison Reform Trust however
points to a significant decline in both the quality of education
and the number of prisoners participating. Just 200 people in prison achieved a level
3 qualification (AS level equivalent) in the 2017-18 academic
year, a 90%
decrease from 2011-12.
Where possible the inquiry would like
to hear about prisoner learners’ and former prisoners’ own
perceptions of how the prison education system is working and
what could be improved.
Rt Hon , Chair of the Education Committee,
said:
“Study after study has painted a
bleak picture of the educational backgrounds and prospects of
those in custody. More than 40% of prisoners have been
permanently excluded from school – a figure which
rises to nearly 90% for children in young offender institutions.
A disproportionate number of those in custody have low levels of
literacy and even lower levels of numeracy, while people in
prison also have a high level of additional learning and other
needs. At the same time there is clear evidence of the huge
benefits of education, both in helping to ensure those in custody
have a future, and to society in terms of cutting
reoffending.
Our inquiry will be examining the
reasons behind the decline in prison education and what more can
be done to ensure those in custody can be equipped with the
skills they need to transform their lives. For example,
apprenticeships could from an integral part of the rehabilitation
process, acting as a bridge from prison to working life on the
outside, while simultaneously helping the country address its
skills gaps.
Education clearly has a key role
to play in making prison work and ensuring custody is effective.
We must make sure access to training and education is made a
priority, aiding the rehabilitation process and giving prisoners
the tools to improve their lives.”
Terms of reference
The Committee invites written
submissions addressing any or all of the following areas:
· What is the purpose of
education in prisons?
· What data exist to
demonstrate the effectiveness of education and training in
prisons and on prisoner attainment, and what international
comparisons are available?
· How well are
additional learning needs met by the prison education and youth
custody systems, including SEND and language and communication
needs?
· Does education in
prisons deliver the skills needed by employers, and what more can
be done to better align these?
· How can successful
participation in education be incentivised in prisons?
· How might
apprenticeships work for those in custody?
· Are current resources
for prison learning meeting need?
· What should happen
when prison education is assessed as not meeting
standards?
· How does the
variability in the prison estate and infrastructure impact on
learning?
· How does provision
compare in public sector and privately run prisons?
· How effective and flexible is prison education
and training in dealing with different lengths of sentences and
the movement of prisoners across the estate?
The deadline for submissions is
8 January 2021. For further information see the
inquiry page on the Committee website.
