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Press release: Lack of progression means missed opportunities for learners in prison

Two new reports published today by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) highlight the need for clear national strategies to support the different learning needs of long and short-term offenders.

The reports, Learning and skills for offenders serving short custodial sentences and Learning and skills for the longer serving offender, evaluate learning programmes for prisoners serving sentences of less than one year, and greater than four years respectively.

Both reports highlight the fact there are no national guidelines for learning and skills programmes that relate to the amount of time offenders spend in prison. In the prisons surveyed, there was a lack of clarity about what type of programmes were most appropriate for offenders serving different sentence lengths.

The report on short-term offenders finds that four out of five prisons are responding well by developing learning and skills programmes that are short and relevant enough for learners to achieve accreditation quickly so that they are better prepared for when they return to their communities.

However, the range of programmes varied considerably between prisons. This lack of consistency and the fact there is no single national system for recording offenders’ progress and achievement in learning and skills, means opportunities for continued progression of learning upon transfer or release from prison are limited.

None of the prisons visited had an explicit learning and skills strategy for offenders on long-term sentences. For offenders who already had a level 2 qualification, there was very little opportunity to progress beyond this level. Added to this the transfer of records between prisons, and between prisons and probation, was slow and inefficient, hindering progress and development of skills beyond individual institutions.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, said:

“Improving skills is important, not only for the personal development and employability of offenders, but also to reduce the rates of re-offending amongst this group. The learning needs of long and short term offenders are particularly challenging and complex, but it’s crucial their needs are met and every learning opportunity is fulfilled.

“There is some good work being done in individual institutions. However, we need greater overall consistency in the provision of learning programmes and a national system for recording data, so that offenders are given every opportunity to progress and develop their skills during the period of their custody and on release.”

Both reports emphasise the fact that early assessment of learners’ basic literacy and numeracy skills should be a high priority for both long and short term prisoners.

Between a third and two thirds of offenders in the prisons visited on the long-term survey had low literacy and/or numeracy skills.

In half the prisons visited on the short-term survey, there was a strong emphasis on improving offenders’ employability skills, and vocational training was satisfactory or better. Despite this, links with employers needed greater development.

The reports outline further recommendations based on the findings of the surveys, including:

• The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) should develop a national strategy to include employers to support the planned ‘core curriculum’ for learning and skills provision.

• The LSC and providers should develop systems to measure and record learners’ progress and support progression opportunities on release or transfer between prisons.

• Providers, the LSC and the National Offender Management Service should evaluate the impact of literacy, numeracy and language programmes on offenders on longer sentences and consider how this might be improved.

• The LSC should improve literacy and numeracy and language support programmes that take account of the time limitations and capabilities of short term serving offenders.

• Providers should implement initial assessments and diagnostic assessments that recognise individual learning and development needs quickly and accurately.

Related Links

• Read the Learning and skills for offenders serving short custodial sentences report
• Read the Learning and skills for the longer-serving offender report

Notes For Editors

1. The reports Learning and Skills for the longer-serving prisoner and An evaluation of the learning and skills provision for offenders serving short custodial sentences, can be found on the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk

2. In the report on short custodial sentences, a team of inspectors visited 19 prisons between July and November 2007, to survey the learning and skills provision for those offenders serving short sentences of less than 1 year. The prisons selected were classed as local prisons and had a high percentage of offenders on short custodial sentences.

3. In the report on learning and skills for the longer serving prisoner, a team of inspectors visited 19 prisons between January and June 2008, to evaluate the range of provision offered to offenders serving custodial sentences of four years or more. The sample included local, dispersal, high security and women’s prisons across the country.

4. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects registered childcare and children's social care, including adoption and fostering agencies, residential schools, family centres and homes for children. It also inspects all state maintained schools, non-association independent schools, pupil referral units, further education, initial teacher education, and publicly funded adult skills and employment-based training, the Children and Family Courts Advisory Service (Cafcass), and the overall level of services for children in local authority areas (through annual performance assessments and joint area reviews).

5. The Ofsted Press Office can be contacted on 08456 4040404 between 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday. During evenings and weekends we can be reached on 07919 057359.

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