🔗 Share this article

Decreases to learning programs within prisons are impeding inmates' work and training opportunities, eventually posing a risk to public safety, according to a new report from a prison watchdog body.

Cycle of Repeat Crimes Connected to Lack of Education

Repeat criminals often create mayhem in their communities due to the failure of correctional facilities to supply adequate training and work programs that could help break the cycle of reoffending, the findings stated.

“I have serious concerns about the effect of real-terms learning funding cuts on currently inadequate services and about the lack of genuine desire and drive for progress that this represents.”

Funding Reductions Endanger Reform Efforts

Despite promises to improve access to education, funding on frontline educational programs in prisons is being cut by as much as 50%, per latest reports.

Although the overall education budget has stayed the same, the expense of course contracts has soared, as claimed by prison administrators.

• Just 31% of former inmates are working six months after leaving prison
• Ninety-four of one hundred four inspected prisons were rated “poor” or “not sufficiently good” for purposeful engagement
• Average attendance in training programs was just 67% in inspected prisons

Inadequate Situations Hinder Reform

Overcrowding, a shortage of training facilities, machinery failures, and aging facilities have worsened the problem, per the report.

Many inmates wait for extended periods to be allocated an training spot and are often given whatever is available, rather than instruction relevant to their career opportunities upon leaving.

Even when work went ahead, full-time positions generally occupied inmates for just a limited time per day, with many positions split into part-time places to stretch meagre provision further.

Government Position and Upcoming Plans

Correctional service has a duty to protect the public by making prisoners less likely to commit crimes again when they are freed, but too often it is failing to fulfill this responsibility.

The best governors understand that jails, and ultimately our communities, are more secure if inmates are meaningfully engaged, and that training, training and work play a crucial role in encouraging inmates to change their behavior.

It is understood that meaningful engagement can help to enable secure and decent prisons and have a positive effect on recidivism rates.”

Until officials in the correctional service take the delivery of high-quality training and training more seriously, it is hard to see how extremely high recidivism rates can be reduced.

The spending cuts are also likely to hinder efforts to introduce a new reward-driven prison system that would enable inmates to gain reductions their sentence by completing employment, training and learning programs.