Project briefing

Developing the learning and skills of offenders could make our society safer, more skilled and more sustainable. Indeed, improving offender learning and skills is critical to reducing re-offending.  Working with key players within the criminal justice system and beyond, the RSA Prison Learning Network will help shape practice, policy and public debate, while encouraging wider community engagement in the prison system.

Building a safer, skilled and sustainable society

Contracted providers within the criminal justice system already engage with thousands of individuals who are either serving a sentence or on remand in prison.  Government has recognised this work as fundamental to achieving its ambition to reduce re-offending by 10% by 2010.  For those working on the frontline, it has long been one of the central principles of their efforts.

Despite this work, there is virtually no mainstream debate or recognition of the achievements of those helping develop offender learning and skills. Overcrowding and the severity of sentencing have dominated public discussion, while issues of offender learning, skills and rehabilitation have fallen by the wayside. 

Hoping to address some of these imbalances, the RSA has launched the Prison Learning Network.  This will be driven by and aimed at those on the front line - statutory, private sector and non-governmental organisations - and have to deliver in exacting circumstances.

Jack Straw welcomes the RSA Prison Learning Network The Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, launched the Prison Learning Network at the RSA on 26 March 2008. View videos of the event

The Network is led by a high level Advisory Board of senior prison staff, probation staff and education providers, working with key experts drawn from academia and NGOs.  It is Chaired by Professor Malcolm Grant.

Download the Project Summary (PDF, 109KB)

 
   

Supporting innovation, quality of work and leadership

Our objective is to improve the quality and consistency of the learning and employment opportunities available to offenders.  The aim is to reduce crime and to improve life within prisons. Working with key players within the criminal justice system and beyond, the Network will help shape practice, policy and public debate, while encouraging wider community engagement in the prison system.

We want to support and acknowledge the innovation, quality of work and leadership taking place within and around the prison, probation services and contracted providers, such as FE colleges.  These all play an essential role in the delivery of learning and rehabilitation. However, any strategy aiming to strengthen offender learning should not underestimate the need to tackle the real challenges facing the criminal justice system, and prisons in particular.

Find out more about our Prison Learning Network Case Studies.

Few would disagree that the current levels of overcrowding, prisoner mobility and governor turnover are undesirable. Most would concur that these conditions can serve to undermine two of the key aims of custody: to rehabilitate and to reduce crime.

The challenge is to find ways of supporting and enabling those on the front line to build on current work, spread good practice and scale up what works within the current context, while developing a compelling narrative, solid evidence and public support for this agenda.

For more details, email the Prisons team

Click here for links to useful organisations working in and around offender learning and skills.