Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted in Part
We have serious concerns around allowing prisoners free and un-fettered access to the internet.
Recommendation
We have serious concerns around allowing prisoners free and un-fettered access to the internet. However, we have been assured that security concerns can be overcome as technology exists which allows access to be restricted to approved content which can be monitored. A change in attitude to technology in prisons is long overdue. The Ministry of Justice must ensure that prisoners are taught the digital skills necessary to live in a digital age and those necessary for employment and life skills. The Ministry of Justice must ensure that prisoners are taught the digital skills necessary to live in a digital age and those necessary for employment and life skills. If security can be assured and access can be monitored and tightly restricted to educational purposes, we recommend that the Ministry of Justice provide in-cell laptops, such as Chromebooks, to prisoners only when undertaking education. (Paragraph 104) Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity 45
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepts the recommendation in principle and will assess the condition of prison buildings, including education and workshop facilities, over the next 12-18 months.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
We accept this recommendation. We teach basic digital skills in all prisons, and 60 laptops have been introduced in accelerator prisons for accessing digital content in-cell. An additional million-pound investment has been made towards introducing laptops across the prison estate. 41 establishments are now using Chromebooks to deliver remote Government Response: Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education 11 to climb the ladder of opportunity learning. In addition, we are working to provide prisoners with a managed in-cell laptop service which features transactional services (such as prison shopping) and curated content, such as access to the Virtual Campus online learning platform, which will be in place in 15 prisons by the end of September 2022. Rolling this equipment out across the whole prison service is subject to continued resourcing.
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