Sally A Pilkington 14 March 2007 Breaking Down Barriers: Prison Education – a Licence to Learn?...

Sally A Pilkington14 March 2007

Breaking Down Barriers:Prison Education – a Licence to Learn?

Welcome

14 March 2007

Sally A Pilkington


Introduction

• Case Study: Accessing Skills in Higher Education and Employment (ASHEE)

• Background: Prisons & Prison Education

• Background: ASHEE

• Delivery of ASHEE

• The Way Forward


Accessing Skills in Higher Education & Employability (ASHEE)

• University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) - long established commitment to widening participation - Various Access routes open to non-traditional students

• In 2004 with funding from Aimhigher, Lancashire we created a bespoke course to be delivered in prisons

• Why?


Socially Excluded Group

• “HMPS serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them lead law-abiding and useful lives in custody & after release”

• Protecting the public• Punishing them by excluding them from the public• Give purposeful activity during custody• Prevent re-offending


Why? ~ The Facts

• Present population 79,983 in England & Wales alone• Projected to rise to 90,000 in 2009• 1 in 5 crimes are committed by ex-offenders• Each re-offender = £65,000 up to the point of imprisonment

£37,500 per year in prison• The total cost of recorded crime by ex prisoners is

estimated at £11billion a year


Why re-offend?

• Significant research shown connection between

unemployment and crime

• Without work there is between 35% and 50% chance of

re-offending

• 75% of those leaving custody have no jobs to go


The Problem

• Estimated that ½ of all prisoners do not have skills

required for 96% of jobs

• Employers want recognised qualifications up to Level 2

• 50% of all prisoners have no qualifications at all

• More than ⅓ have reading skills below the level of those

expected of an 11 year old


Not just offenders but…

Source: HM Government (2006) Reducing Reoffending Through Skills & Employment: Next Steps


Prison Education continued

•From 1993 contracted out on 5 year basis to FE colleges•2001 Prisoners Learning & Skills Unit (PLSU)•2003 Offender Learning & Skills Unit (OLSU)

“Our vision is that offenders according to need should have access to education and training both in prisons and in the community, which enables them to gain the skills and qualifications they need to hold down a job and have a positive role in society, and that the content and quality of learning programmes in prisons, and the qualifications to which these lead, are the same as comparable provision in the community.”

Source:DfES/PLSU (2003) Improving Offenders’ Learning and Skills Delivery Plan 2003/4 – 2004/5


Curriculum by 2004

• Provide accredited qualifications in key and basic skills up to Level 2, which would enhance their employability on release.

• All prisons had to provide a core curriculum which included:

- An Initial Assessment - A National Record of Achievement

- Basic Skills - Key Skills - English for Speakers of - Social & Life Skills

other Languages - Generic Preparation For Work

- ICT


Prison Education 2004

• Core curriculum, particularly Basic Skills a priority• Other courses & qualifications include: - Art and Craft

- Business Studies- GCSEs, A Levels- Degree Level Courses*- NVQs & GNVQs in subjects such as - Painting & Decorating

- Bricklaying - Hairdressing - Plumbing


Higher Education

•Distance Learning available

•Payment

- the prisoners private funds

- via a third party, e.g. relatives or charity

- prison materials budget

- a combination of the above in which the Education

Manager takes responsibility for payment

“Management of particular programmes within prison is the responsibility of the establishments themselves”

Secretary of State for Education & Skills (2004)


Accessing Skills in Higher Education & Employability (ASHEE)

• to be delivered in prisons to by give offenders access

- to gain skills and qualifications to secure employment- to be educated up to Level 2- to have an introduction to HE

and therefore- provide “same as comparable provision in the community”

• Level B University Certificate of Achievement- Carry certificate of employability skills- adds an additional level to Uclan’s portfolio of access

provision- Guaranteed progression to subsequent HE access courses


ASHEE – Overall Aim

• Contribute to reduction of re offending- through enhancing employment skills- provide transferable skills- improve resettlement prospects- awareness of Higher Education- pathway to HE for a socially excluded group- widen participation

Also- review employment & educational goals & - develop understanding of education, employment

& career opportunities- develop social skills, confidence & motivation


Delivery

• Initially funded for pilot delivery until the end of academic year 2004/2005

• Success acquired additional funding• Ran from May 2005 to October 2006• Each school 24 hours delivery• Initially at HMP Kirkham (2 schools)• HMP Preston (3 schools, 1 for vulnerable prisoners - VPs)• Had to adjust content to suit the prison


Institution & Student Profile• Both male prisons - 21 years+ HMP Kirkham

- category D prison ‘Open’- capacity 550 prisoners- Near end of sentences or short/medium term sentences- Training prison

HMP Preston- category B prison ‘Local’- capacity 730 prisoners- remand prisoners and those awaiting sentence- awaiting allocation to prisons that suit their needs- short term, repeat offenders- high agenda on resettlement- one industrial workshop- IT centre of excellence


Example – HMP Preston

• Average of 15 New Receptions per day

• 8 are sentenced to 12 months or under or on remand

• Average 228 per calendar month

• Over 8.5% of those interviewed have an interest in higher education

• Approximately 20 prisoners per month


Barriers to Learning• Individual constraints

- Bad experience of education- Lack of confidence/own abilities- No awareness of content of HE- Non-employable with a criminal record- Education forced upon them- Peer pressure- Personal anxieties e.g. further charges- Low wages- No awareness of availability of HE in prison

• Criminogenic needs- housing- families- community


Institutional Constraints

• KPTs (Key Performance Targets)*• Basic Skills provision• Lack of priority• Low wages• No continuity• Lack of resources• Funding required for HE• Security issues

- student numbers- restrictions- communication - marketing

• Lack of control


ASHEE ~ Delivery• Students

- 31 enrolled

- educated to Levels 1 & 2

- 20 for academic reasons

- 6 employment skills

- 5 for both

• Outcome

- 13 with distinction

- 9 with merits

- 2 straight pass

- 5 withdrawn

- 2 failed


Outcome continued…

• 10 university applications • 4 currently on BA/BSc Foundation Entry Programme - UCLAN• 3 Stage One of BA/BSc (Hons) degree

- 1 = Psychology - UCLAN

- 1 = Youth & Community Work – Manchester Met

- 1 = Computing – Lancaster University

• One student awarded Ede & Ravenscroft Award for

Academic Excellence 2006


Current debate

• New Green Paper Reducing Re-Offending through Skills and Employment (December 2005)

• 5 year plan to further improve labour skills of offenders

• Engaging employers in the design & delivery of programmes

• Alliances with employers, targeting specific industrial sectors with labour shortages


“It’d be rather insulting of Government to suggest that all prisoners will want to be builders or painters or decorators. A large number of prisoners will want to study more academic rather than vocational - qualifications…Higher Education must not be lost in this process” Steve Taylor – Forum on Prisoner Education (2005)


Further Research

• Widen Participation further - providing awareness/engage/change attitudes/break down barriers

• Employability skills should not be emphasised to the extent that the wider benefits of learning are excluded

• Closer links with HEIs as well as employers• Mentoring/support mechanisms• In custody – Is education merely a distraction? • Will change of environment affect future?• Tracking

Is the interest in HE still apparent on release?

How many continue with studies?


To conclude• Widening participation in higher education for

offenders does work

• Essential addition to current education & skills provision

• Meeting individual needs of all prisoners

• Choice/comparability

• Develop awareness & benefits

• Providing other alternatives to crime on release


Reducing Re-Offending through Skills and Employment: Next Steps

“Introducing new arrangements for higher education in April 2007 for offenders in custody. We intend to offer access to a broader range of opportunities with a variety of higher education providers”*

* HM Government 2006


Questions?

Sally A Pilkington 14 March 2007 Breaking Down Barriers: Prison Education – a Licence to Learn?...

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