Prisoners: Education and Training

The Government recognises that high-quality education and vocational training are central to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Prisoners have access to a broad curriculum, including English, maths, digital skills, further and higher education, vocational training and employment-focused learning. Reading is a priority and every prison should now have a reading strategy in place. We are expanding vocational opportunities through prison industries, employer partnerships and apprenticeships to help prisoners develop the skills needed to secure sustainable employment on release.

Ofsted inspects education and training provision in prisons, and inspection outcomes have shown a recent improving trend. Improvements in reading were noted in a recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP). The Ministry of Justice is also undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of prison education, which will strengthen our understanding of what works and support evidence-based decisions on future improvements to education and skills provision across the prison estate.