[Photo Copyright: The Telegraph]
Alex has announced that learning in jails is to be completely transformed through the introduction of a new Prisoner Education Service.
Evidence shows most prisoners have poor levels of education, with almost half of all offenders having been previously expelled from school,
The new Prisoner Education Service will include:
- New Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison
- The first ever prisoner apprenticeships in catering and construction through ground-breaking partnerships with Greene King, Kier and Clipper
- An extra £1.8 million invested to raise literacy rates
- Launching the Future Skills programme that will train up over 2,000 offenders over the next two years in vital industries such as scaffolding and electrics, before linking them up with employers in the local community and guaranteeing interviews on release.
Alex said:
“Just as criminals must repay their debt to society, a forward-thinking prison system must give prisoners an alternative to the cycle of reoffending, and one of the best ways to do this is through education.
“Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. I am grateful to Ofsted and the Chief Inspector of Prisons for their work championing this issue.”
[Photo Copyright: The Telegraph]