Almost everyone in prison will be released at some point. But it’s how people use their time in prison that can make a difference to their whole lives.
We believe in rehabilitation and know that for many, learning to read and improving numeracy skills plays a key role. Having access to education in prison gives people more opportunities to gain a job and go onto further education when they are released. Not only that, but it also gives them a purpose, helping to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
We have seen the difference learning makes to people in prison. It has a transformative impact on the life of the individual and those around them, which in turn can lead to reduced reoffending and a better society.
That’s why we strongly encourage the government to invest in initiatives like ours, and to make the most of the expertise of organisations already working within the prison system, in order to reduce reoffending.
65% of people in prison can’t read, or struggle to. Even more struggle with numeracy.
People who struggle with low literacy and/or numeracy skills have poorer life chances:
With reoffending costing the UK an estimated £18 billion a year, it seems obvious that teaching people to read and understand numbers can help reduce the possibility of people entering the cycle of reoffending. Especially, when that financial cost does not include the impact to the individual, victims of crime, and the impact on wider society.
Shannon Trust trains people in prison serving sentences who can read and handle numbers (mentors) to teach those who can’t (learners).
We do this using our bespoke learning programmes – Turning Pages for literacy and Count Me In for numeracy. Sessions are one to one, learners move at their own pace, and there are no exams and no classrooms. Self-study options are also available for those who wish to learn independently.
Our programmes are suitable for people who have experienced educational trauma, are neurodiverse or have additional learning needs, and have been used successfully by ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) learners.
Prison officers have told us that the bond between a mentor and learner is crucial. The fact that the mentors supporting learners are in the same situation, and have their own life adversities, creates a bond of trust that is essential for most learners. Most of our learners would never take part in formal classroom-based learning, because of previous negative experiences.
We hear every day how transformative the Shannon Trust programmes have been. The skills developed by mentors and learners changes something in them.
“I have struggled very badly all of my life with reading and writing –it has made my life very difficult. Like taking my daughter for a meal – I could not read the menu. In prison I could not order my canteen or my menu. Imagine that! In the last 6 months, I have spent many hours with Shannon Trust in the library at Holme House. I have now completed book 5 of Turning Pages, gone from entry level 3 to level 1 in reading. This is a massive thing for me. Thank you. My whole life will be easier and on release my daughter will be so proud.” – Shannon Trust learner
Mentors often tell us they never expected they would be able to teach anyone anything. The position of responsibility they are in, and the fact they are trusted to have such a positive impact on another person’s life has a profound effect.
The sense of pride and eagerness to do more to support learners and the Shannon Trust programmes cannot be overstated. To have something so positive and meaningful to do in prison changes people. Mentors are proud to tell our team their ideas and accomplishments. They feel they have a stake in something happening in the prison, which is a force for good, inspiring others to come forward.
“Working with Shannon Trust, I had no idea how many people needed support with reading, writing and maths skills and I did not realise how much enjoyment I would get from helping others with this. I discovered one gentleman who could not read or write at all, he was a very reluctant learner however once I started to work with him on a regular basis, he had a ‘sparkle in his eye’ when it started coming together. This for me was one of my most rewarding moments and worth its weight in gold, especially when he was independently able to write his own name and read a newspaper.” – Shannon Trust mentor
Prison officers have told us they have seen this firsthand too. It makes the prison a better place to work and be, and people in prison are more open to working with staff, taking up rehabilitative opportunities and feeling part of a wider community.
For learners, the benefits are obvious. Becoming literate and numerate is life-changing in so many ways. We hear all the time from learners who have started courses or secured employment, which previously would never have been possible. Many learners go on to become mentors themselves, because they have developed the skills and confidence to do so and want to continue to be part of the Shannon Trust community. They also have visions of a future where they can support their children or grandchildren with homework, gain employment, and improve their life prospects for themselves and their loved ones.
The benefits for wider society are significant. Helping people to improve their literacy and numeracy skills reduces reoffending. It opens the door to further education and employment opportunities that would not have been accessible previously.
Offending, and then sending people to prison, costs the taxpayer tens of billions of pounds every year. We know that helping more people in prison to become literate and numerate is a vital component of reducing reoffending, and Shannon Trust programmes address that need in over 100 prisons.
We are concerned about the ability of the Ministry of Justice to fund these programmes. To Shannon Trust, this looks very much like a false economy – it is evident that with support and investment, we can reach more people in prison who need literacy and numeracy support, giving them better opportunities for their future, and ultimately, reduce reoffending. The return on this investment will be felt by everyone.
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