First report - Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity

The purpose of education and training in prisons should be to get prisoners onto the ladder of opportunity. It must play a key role in improving the employability of prisoners and therefore in reducing reoffending. However, prison education must be understood in broader terms than just improving the employability of a prisoner. Education allows a prisoner to gain self-confidence and provides mental health benefits in isolating conditions, while improving their behaviour in prison. Education has a value in itself, developing the person as a whole. The Ministry of Justice must develop prison education policy accordingly.

The Coates Review highlighted the need for prison education to be at the heart of the prison system. Six years later, this aspiration has still not been realised. It is imperative that there is a renewed focus on embedding a culture of education into prison establishments. This will not happen unless it is supported by all prison departments, and by all levels of staff. The Ministry of Justice must ensure that there is an understanding across the prison estate about the importance of prison education. It is also incumbent on Governors to raise the profile of prison education and to promote and facilitate education in prisons wherever possible.

The job description and key performance measures used when assessing Governors must be amended to require Governors to ensure that providing adequate prison education and a culture of learning is part of their core responsibilities, and something on which they must be held to account for as part of their performance. Prison officers should also receive training to ensure that they understand the importance of education in supporting prisoners to find employment and reducing reoffending, so they develop a positive attitude towards the role that education has to play in prisons.

There must also be a clear signal in each prison that education is an operational priority. We recommend that each prison has a Deputy Governor of Learning who is part of the Senior Management team, who is directly responsible for education audits and the educational outcomes of prisoners. The job description for this role must include qualifications and/or experience in prison education.

Many prisoners have a negative view of education. Incentives therefore have a part to play in encouraging prisoners to engage, or re-engage, with education. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice ensures that pay for education is equal to the pay for prison work, to ensure that prisoners do not lose out by choosing education. In order to qualify for the equal pay, prisoners must be able to demonstrate progress within their studies. We also recommend that the Government examines the potential of using Release on Temporary License (ROTL) as an incentive to encourage prisoners to engage with education. In order to qualify for the equal pay, prisoners must be able to demonstrate progress within their studies. We also recommend that the Government examines the potential of using Release on Temporary License (ROTL) as an incentive to encourage prisoners to engage with education. (Paragraph 28) 42 Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity Assessment of needs

A high proportion of prisoners have learning needs. It is concerning that prisons have only had to screen for additional learning needs since 2019. This means that the majority of the prison population may never have gone through a screening process. It is clear that there is a lack of data around the numbers of prisoners with special needs and that the true scale of the issue is not known. Government figures currently rely heavily on prisoners self-identifying, and many may be unaware of their learning difficulties or too embarrassed to ask for support. The Ministry of Justice must re-design CURIOUS to better capture complete data on the levels of prisoners with learning difficulties across the prison estate. It must allow more than one condition to be clearly identified and recorded in the system, and its use must be extended to private prisons. This will enable the Government to properly identify and target funding and support to those that need it most across the prison estate. Assessment and resources for people with ESOL needs should also be considered.

The current screening process is not adequate to identify prisoners with additional learning needs. The Ministry of Justice must introduce a consistent assessment process for every prisoner when they enter the prison system. We believe there is a strong case for every prisoner to receive an assessment for learning needs from an educational psychologist, or at the very least a more intensive form of screening, and we recommend that the Ministry of Justice prepares a cost appraisal for implementing such an approach.

There needs to be a whole prison approach to prisoners with learning difficulties. This is currently hampered by the lack of information sharing between the community and the prison estate regarding prisoners’ educational attainment in the community, and any learning difficulties that were identified. This also continues during the prison sentence, with different departments holding their own information on prisoners. There must be greater integrated working between different providers in custody—between education, health and offender management. The Government must amend legislation to enable data on prisoners to be shared so that prisons can access prisoners’ previous records of educational attainment from the National Pupil Database, and also to enable previous diagnosis on learning needs to be shared.

Support for prisoners with learning difficulties is long over-due. We welcome the Government’s recent commitment in its Prisons Strategy White Paper to provide dedicated specialist support staff, but the Government must ensure that there is adequate resourcing for this. The Government must, in its response to this Report, provide greater clarity on the funding available to fund specialist support staff, how many will be appointed, where they will be distributed across the prison estate, with a minimum of one SENCO per prison, and the timescale for their introduction across the prison estate.

Developing individual learning plans with prisoners helps to secure their commitment to, and ownership of, their own education, and provides a focus on individual learning. It helps to make prisoners aware of the options available to them in terms of learning opportunities, and can be used to measure their attainment Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity 43 and their progress towards their goals. The Ministry of Justice must re-establish a National Careers Service across the prison estate in order to provide advice and support to prisoners in identifying education and employment opportunities.

We recommend that all prisoners have a personalised Individual Learning Plan linked to their sentence plan, created at the start of their time in prison. This should include the SEND assessment undertaken at their entry into the prison system. The Individual Learning Plan should be updated with their progression and development during their prison sentence.

Prisoners are often transferred with short notice across the prison estate. The loss or delay in the transfer of their educational records can have serious repercussions on their ability to continue their studies, and can in some cases cause prisoners to become disheartened and to give up on their learning. It is unacceptable that the effort made by prisoners in improving themselves can be so easily discarded.

The Ministry of Justice must introduce a digital education passport, which contains a record of a prisoner’s learning, and any identified educational needs, that follows prisoners through their sentence and across the prison estate, and which can be shown to potential employers. (Paragraph 59) Education delivery

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 being appointed. The new contracts were meant to encourage partnership between prisons, prison educators, the further education sector and the voluntary sector, but in practice bureaucratic contracts undermine this vision and make educational provision transactional, rather than rooted in the needs of the individual and the local area. The Government must ensure that there is a greater emphasis on working with the Further Education sector.

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 structure, before the contracts are considered for extension in 2023. The review should examine how the contracts could be improved to encourage partnership working, how to ensure that Governors have the autonomy to choose their education providers and to work with the further education sector, and how to develop a focus on engaging with local employers, including SMEs.

We also recommend that all prison Governors are given the appropriate training by the Ministry of Justice to acquire the skills to manage the contracts with their education providers more effectively. (Paragraph 72) 44 Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity

The Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) was meant to allow Governors to contract bespoke training, including with voluntary organisations, for their prisons. However, the current length of contracts is making it difficult for smaller organisations to bid. The length of DPS contracts should be extended beyond the current two years.

It is key that civil society is allowed to engage with prisons. To ensure that prisons fulfil this aim, a criteria must be added to the evaluation framework of Ofsted inspections to ensure that they examine how prisons engage with civil society.

The current prison inspection regime does not give enough weight to the quality of education. The award of a single grade to the establishment makes it difficult to see the origin of the failure, therefore making it difficult to act to improve the situation.

We recommend that prisons have clear and meaningful KPIs related to education, training and employment which are monitored by Ofsted. The Ministry of Justice must also reform the inspection regime so that Ofsted is able to give a grade for the education provider within the prison. We recommend that Ofsted is given the legal tools to allow it to take regulatory action against individual prisons, including, where necessary, changes to the prison leadership. (Paragraph 83) Education facilities and infrastructure

When considering moving prisoners, the position of where they are in a course or qualification should be considered. The ability of whether they would be able to continue their qualification where they are moved to, should also be a factor.

The lack of controlled and secure access to proper online education is a significant barrier to learning. It is stifling opportunity for improvement through education and leaving prisoners unprepared for the real world, lacking the digital skills they need for employment and life skills, and reducing their likelihood of reoffending. The digital divide between prisoners and the community is ever increasing. We cannot let this continue. The pandemic has brought into stark focus the need for prisoners to be able to work individually and in their cells. The Government must set out, by the end of the year, a date for when all prisons will be able to support broadband.

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

Prison Education is in a perilous state due to a continual decline in funding. The Government has not increased funding for prison education for the last five years. The current prison regime contains many barriers to the successful delivery of prison education. Without significant investment in the prison estate, in buildings, classrooms, equipment and technology, prisoners will not be able to get the skills and qualification that they need to find employment and turn their lives around. The Ministry of Justice must undertake an audit across the whole prison estate on the quality of physical infrastructure necessary to provide a high level of education, such as libraries, classrooms and workshops. The Ministry of Justice must establish clear guidelines about the minimum standards of provision for education across the prison estate.

The Ministry of Justice must, by the end of this year, set out a clear budget for prisons for the next 10 years, which sets out a long-term strategy for prison education, and a minimum expected spend on prison education. (Paragraph 108) Academic study

The current provision of prison education is too narrow, and is not allowing prisoners to achieve their full potential. Prisoners must be able to access a varied and diverse curriculum. Whilst aiming to meet the basic needs of prisoners with numeracy, literacy and IT, the Ministry of Justice must introduce a broader prison education curriculum which supports prisoners’ sentence and learning plans. The provision should also enable prisoners to embed these basic skills in more practical learning experiences. Where practical, prisoners should also be offered the chance to study wider subjects, including arts, and gain employability skills which will be crucial for them as they progress into society and the world of work.

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.

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 following release.

Our Report makes it clear that education should be at the heart of the prison regime. The Government must look at innovative ways to make this a reality. We recommend that the Government establish a pilot scheme establishing specialised prisons with a focus on education, run in partnership with a local university, a further education college, or other recognised quality educational providers. (Paragraph 125) 46 Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity Route to employment

Employment has been shown to reduce reoffending. Getting prisoners into employment therefore makes economic sense for society, easing the current burden on prisons, and allowing former prisoners to re-enter society. The low number of prisoners finding long-term employment following their release from prison is stark. The Ministry of Justice must improve its vocational skills offer to prisoners, ensuring that it is preparing prisoners for the current job market with qualifications that meet industry standards.

The prison estate has a role in supporting prisoners in finding employment. We welcome the employment hubs that are currently operational, such as that in HMP Thorn Cross, but believe that the scheme must be extended. The Government must, by the end of the year, set out a clear timetable for the roll-out of employment hubs across the prison estate, where appropriate.

No-one understands the skills market better than employers. Local partnership with employers is key to identifying and providing the necessary skills for the job market. During our inquiry, we heard of some fantastic partnerships between prisons and businesses. However, these examples are too few. The Ministry of Justice must build on this and significantly expand this approach. Prisons must be able to react to the needs of employers. We welcome the announcements in the Government’s White Paper to improve links between prisons and businesses, such as the establishment of Employment Advisers and local Employment Boards. The Ministry of Justice must in its response to our Report set out clear timetables for the changes announced in its White Paper on Prisons Strategy.

The New Futures Network was established by the Ministry of Justice to build partnerships with employers and prisons. However, there is no published data as to what success it is having. The Ministry of Justice must publish annual data showing the number of employment opportunities it has found for former prisoners. The data must show the size of the companies the Network is engaging with to ensure that it is engaging with employers of all sizes, including small and medium sized employers.

Release on Temporary Licence allows relationships to develop between prisoners and employers and allows prisoners to require vital employment skills. The Government must ensure that greater use is made of Release on Temporary Licence for work placements, thus enabling prisoners to receive employment experience towards the end of their sentence.

Our inquiry has shone a light on the benefits of prisoners being able to take apprenticeships. We are pleased that the Government has listened to the weight of evidence submitted to us on this issue, and will amend current Government policy. It is imperative that there is no delay in the introduction of this policy. The Ministry of Justice must confirm by the Summer that the necessary changes to legislation to allow prisoners to take up apprenticeships will be made later this year.

In any future review of the Apprenticeship Levy, the Government must change the rules to allow businesses to direct it towards prisoner rehabilitation schemes. (Paragraph 151) Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity 47

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.

There is a lack of data about the impact of education and training in prisons. It is important that there is in-depth analysis on what kind of programmes are most effective, and on longer-term outcomes. The Ministry of Justice must carry out a longitudinal study of prisoner destination data, comparing the prisoner outcomes of those who have received prison education with those that have not. This information should be shared with education providers, which would allow them to refine their education offer to best support the vocations and careers that former prisoners are pursuing. (Paragraph 157) 48 Not just another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity