Select Committee · Education Committee

Prison Education

Status: Closed Opened: 19 Nov 2020 Closed: 20 Oct 2022 34 recommendations 4 conclusions 1 report

The inquiry is examining how current arrangements support learners in custody and how well prison education delivers the skills needed by employers. The inquiry is considering education for adults, young people and children in custody. It will look at what barriers exist, for instance, to delivering apprenticeships in a custodial setting. Also, what educational offers … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First report - Not just another brick in the wall: why pri… HC 56 18 May 2022 38 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
14 Recommendation First report - Not just another brick … Acknowledged

The quality of prison education is of huge concern and has been deemed “inadequate”.

The quality of prison education is of huge concern and has been deemed “inadequate”. The vision of Governor autonomy, as set out by the Coates Review, has not been realised by the new contracts and we are disappointed that the new contractual arrangements resulted in the same four educational providers … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the need for a review of the prison education framework in principle, but it would not be feasible to complete this within the timescales provided; they are reviewing the contract management system and structure for the Prison Education Framework.
Read full response →
Department for Education
15 Recommendation First report - Not just another brick … Acknowledged

We have concerns about whether the Prison Education Framework contracts are able to deliver the...

We have concerns about whether the Prison Education Framework contracts are able to deliver the improvement in prison education that is desperately needed. The Government must carry out a wholesale review of the current prison education framework by the end of 2022, with a view to improving the current contract … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation in principle and states that they want governors to be more involved in performance discussions with education providers, and specialist trained staff will support them in managing the prison education contracts.
Read full response →
Department for Education
28 Recommendation First report - Not just another brick … Acknowledged

Reoffending is lower in prisoners who participate in higher education.

Reoffending is lower in prisoners who participate in higher education. The Government must remove the “six-year rule” so that prisoners on long sentences can apply for higher education courses earlier in their sentence. This would give them motivation during their sentence and keep them focused on their potential employment opportunities … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts this recommendation and states that there are already good examples of partnerships between education and training providers and prisons and it will continue to build further relationships through our Employability Innovation Fund.
Read full response →
Department for Education
37 Recommendation First report - Not just another brick … Acknowledged

Businesses may have some reservations about employing former prisoners, which the Government must work to...

Businesses may have some reservations about employing former prisoners, which the Government must work to overcome. The Government must introduce incentives to encourage businesses to employ former prisoners, such as national insurance holidays for the first year of employing former prisoners. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts this recommendation in principle and are developing personal learning plans for prisoners and developing measures of progress; they are considering their monitoring and evaluation strategy for planned initiatives such as the Employability Innovation Fund and will explore the potential for longitudinal research …
Read full response →
Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 Jan 2022 Alex Burghart MP · Department for Education, Louise Wright · Department for Education, Phil Copple · HMPPS, Victoria Atkins · Ministry of Justice View ↗
14 Dec 2021 Darren Burns · Timpson, Sasha Simmonds · O’Neill & Brennan, Ted Rosner · Redemption Roasters, Tony Hughes · Williams Homes View ↗
2 Nov 2021 Ben Leapman, David Breakspear, Femi Laryea-Adekimi, Jonathan Gilbert, Kiri Jolliffe View ↗
21 Sep 2021 Andrea Greer · Weston College, Matthew Coffey · Ofsted, Paul Joyce · Ofsted, Peter Cox · Novus, Sally Alexander · Milton Keynes College, Sophie Sterling · People Plus View ↗
8 Jun 2021 Francesca Cooney, Prisoner Learning Alliance, Michala Robertson, Open University, Peter Dawson, Prison Reform Trust · Prison Reform Trust, Stephen Johnson, Prison Governors Association View ↗
25 May 2021 David Hughes · Association of Colleges, Julian Smith · Bounce Back, Lisa Capper MBE · NACRO, Shereen Lawrence · St Giles Trust, Simon Ashworth · Association of Employment and Learning Providers View ↗
20 Apr 2021 Dame Sally Coates DBE, Peter Stanford · Coates Review, Rod Clark · Coates Review View ↗

Who gave evidence

31 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alex Burghart MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Education 1
Andrea Greer · Deputy Principal Weston College 1
Ben Leapman 1
Dame Sally Coates DBE 1
Darren Burns · National Recruitment Manager Timpson 1
David Breakspear 1
David Hughes · Chief Executive Association of Colleges 1
Femi Laryea-Adekimi 1
Francesca Cooney, Prisoner Learning Alliance 1
Jonathan Gilbert 1
Julian Smith · CEO Bounce Back 1
Kiri Jolliffe 1
Lisa Capper MBE · Director of Education and Skills NACRO 1
Louise Wright · Deputy Director for Apprenticeships, Participatio… Department for Education 1
Matthew Coffey · Chief Operating Officer Ofsted 1
Michala Robertson, Open University 1
Paul Joyce · Deputy Director for Further Education and Skills Ofsted 1
Peter Cox · Managing Director Novus 1
Peter Dawson, Prison Reform Trust Prison Reform Trust 1
Peter Stanford · Director, Longford Trust, and panel member Coates Review 1
Phil Copple · Director General of Prisons HMPPS 1
Rod Clark · former Chief Executive Officer, Prisoners’ Educat… Coates Review 1
Sally Alexander · Principal Milton Keynes College 1
Sasha Simmonds · Head of Social Value O’Neill & Brennan 1
Shereen Lawrence · Peer Advisor Network Coordination Manager St Giles Trust 1
Simon Ashworth · Chief Policy Officer Association of Employment and Learning Providers 1
Sophie Sterling · Business Development and Partnerships Director People Plus 1
Stephen Johnson, Prison Governors Association 1
Ted Rosner · Founder Redemption Roasters 1
Tony Hughes · Commercial Director Williams Homes 1
Victoria Atkins · Minister of State for Prisons and Probation Ministry of Justice 1

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
19 May 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice…
29 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice…