Recommendation 38

Evidence shows that prisoners who participate in higher education are 20 per cent less likely to reoffend and commit 30 per cent fewer reoffences in the year following release. Reforming the six-year funding rule would support long-term prisoners to develop skills, contribute positively to prison life, and reduce their risk of reoffending on release. The Government’s rationale not to reform this rule—based on loan repayment—fails to account for these wider social and economic benefits, even when loans are not repaid. (Conclusion, Paragraph 170)