Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Paragraph: 116
We recognise the reality of prison life and that prisoners may be transferred, often at...
Conclusion
We recognise the reality of prison life and that prisoners may be transferred, often at short notice. The Ministry of Justice must look at the ways that this can cause as little harm to their education as possible. We have already recommended that digital passports are introduced. We also recommend that the Ministry of Justice introduce modular courses in prisons for education and skills qualifications. This would allow prisoners to “bank” units of a qualification as they complete them, thereby reducing the disruption caused by prison transfers.
Paragraph Reference:
116
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
We reject this recommendation. Loan support is available only for prisoners who are within six years of their release date, in order to strike a balance between supporting prisoners reasonably close to their release date and ensuring that the taxpayer has a reasonable expectation that the prisoner benefiting from the loan would be able to repay it. We support the principle of prisoners having access to the high-quality training they need to progress and build a brighter future. In doing so, we need to prioritise initiatives that will make the greatest difference to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending - in particular, apprenticeships and skills bootcamps which will ensure prisoners have the skills and experience they need to move onto secure employment in the longer-term. We consider these initiatives will benefit many more prisoners than an amendment to the six-year rule. Evidence shows that prison leavers in work are significantly less likely to re- offend as indicated by the Education Committee’s Report in paragraph 126.