With reoffending costing the taxpayer £18 billion a year, 80% of all convictions and cautions given to reoffenders, and the current prison capacity crisis, it seems obvious that the new government needs to focus on tackling the root causes of offending and reoffending.
Inspired by the recent comments made by Jon Collins of Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET), we wanted to share our priorities for the new government:
We agree with PET that the new prison contracts should be reviewed. Although the importance of basic literacy skills has been acknowledged in a number of reports, most recently in the review of reading education in prisons, it’s only a small part of a much wider service provision. We know that supporting people to learn to read and improve their existing skills opens the doors to other opportunities. Shannon Trust advises a more specific focus on programmes like Turning Pages and Count Me In, which can engage people who have had poor experiences of formal education, and might be otherwise reluctant to engage without our one to one peer-led support.
We are also in agreement with PET that the key performance indicators should also be reconsidered, specifically, measuring attendance as a way of measuring performance. We would encourage an approach that focuses on learner progress and realistic outcomes instead.
We also agree that the 5 prisons taken out of the standard education contracts, and tasked with developing their own, bespoke education provision should be a priority initiative. It will provide an opportunity for specialist organisations and prisons to work together, be innovative, and ultimately deliver a programme of learning that works. It is a chance to explore solutions without any constraints resulting from the need to fit a ‘one size fits all’ approach, or repeating what has already been done before.
With two thirds of the prison population assessed as having below entry level literacy and numeracy, priority needs to be given to improving fundamental basic skills. If people are struggling with basic literacy and numeracy, they are far less likely to be able to engage in other education and employment opportunities, which can reduce reoffending. Because our programmes are delivered through a flexible, peer support model, they work for people who would previously never have engaged with formal education. Our programmes give people the confidence in their skills to move into more formal education. Expecting people to engage with education when they don’t have the tools to do so, is like expecting them to unlock a door without a key.
With consistent staffing issues, poor access to libraries and suitable spaces for learning, and low investment in technology, there are many barriers to learning taking place. Prisons need enough staff, so people in prison can be unlocked to undertake learning. We need spaces suitable for learning to take place, away from more chaotic environments where it’s hard to concentrate. We need investment in technology so that people in prison can improve their digital skills, and so that we can support as many people as possible to learn.
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We know that these changes will take time. But we’re confident that if the government listens to the expertise of organisations working within the criminal justice system, who are delivering positive results right now, we can expect even better outcomes for the future. Our vision is of a future where nobody is left out of learning, and with the support of the government, Shannon Trust and other organisations can make this a reality, transform many more lives, and reduce reoffending.
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