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

Select Committee
Education Committee HC 56 18 May 2022
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 38 items (34 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 38 of 38 classified)
Accepted 19
Accepted in Part 7
Acknowledged 4
Rejected 8
Clear

Recommendations

6 results
5 Accepted in Part
Many prisoners have a negative view of education.
Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation in principle and intends to consult practitioners on the implications of any change to the current approach and consider how they can develop a culture of learning in prisons. However, they do not commit to equal pay for education or directly linking educational attendance or achievement to temporary release as a reward.
Department for Education
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9 Accepted in Part
Para 45
Support for prisoners with learning difficulties is long over-due.
Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts this recommendation in principle and is recruiting new support managers for prisoners with additional learning needs, working towards recruiting 61 in the first year and a further 61 in the second year, resulting in one support manager in every prison by 2024. These roles are not identical to SENCOs, who specifically focus on education needs.
Department for Education
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10 Accepted in Part
Para 52
Developing individual learning plans with prisoners helps to secure their commitment to, and ownership of,...
Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts in principle and is exploring the best long-term arrangements for a future Careers Information, Advice and Guidance Service, which may not take the precise form of the National Careers Service. They are also developing Personal Learning Plans, and will introduce resettlement passports to bring together key information and services needed to resettle into society.
Department for Education
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18 Accepted in Part
Para 77
It is key that civil society is allowed to engage with prisons.
Recommendation
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.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the need for KPIs to measure education and training, and HMPPS has introduced new KPIs, and Ofsted will have access to this data. However, they do not commit to specifically adding a criteria to the evaluation framework of Ofsted inspections to ensure that they examine how prisons engage with civil society.
Department for Education
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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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
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.
Department for Education
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32 Accepted in Part
Para 140
No-one understands the skills market better than employers.
Recommendation
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 … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation in principle but states that auditing the size of individual employers would be administratively challenging and that NFN is only one source of employment, but will explore ways to better demonstrate the work and impact of NFN.
Department for Education
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38 Conclusion Accepted in Part
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government accepts this recommendation in principle and is developing personal learning plans for prisoners and measures of progress; they will explore the potential for longitudinal research as part of monitoring and evaluation strategy.
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