Offender Learning The Way Ahead

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Offender Learning The Way Ahead

• Kirsten Sams
• Manager, Offender Learning, Skills and
  Employability Services

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Offender Learning Offenders in CustodyCurrent
Issues

• Poorly resourced (budgets, accommodation/teaching
  and learning resources)
• Low profile
• Curriculum - One size fits all
• Limited opportunities for student progression
• Lack of clarity about purpose
• Client group - targeting
• Lack of integration with other relevant services
  in SPS (programmes, VT)
• Timetabling of purposeful activity not based on
  assessment of prisoner needs
• Prisoners often disadvantaged when they chose
  education
• No nationally agreed approach/strategy each
  prison relatively autonomous
• Geography prisons not local makes
  establishment of meaningful throughcare difficult
• Insufficient research on impact of education and
  training on recidivism and ability to gain
  employment
• Lack of appropriate CPD for learning centre staff

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Offender Learning Offenders in CustodyIssues /
Resourcing
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Offender Learning Offenders in CustodyCurrent
Strengths

• Experienced and dedicated staff
• Range of good initiatives which have a direct
  impact on self-esteem and literacy levels (story
  book dads, Traverse Theatre Outright project,
  reader and writer in residences, research project
  with Edinburgh University on links between music
  and literacy, links with National Gallery to
  encourage art in prison)
• Trend over the past 4 years has been one of
  increased emphasis on accredited learning and
  more prisoners are achieving nationally
  recognised qualifications in the core skills
• Good partnership working between the two Colleges
  and other relevant agencies (Learndirect project
  to support e-learning)
• Most prisoners assessed on entry
• ILPs created for most prisoners who attend
  learning centres
• Information about prisoner progress and
  achievement recorded in PR2
• Inspection framework developed by HMIe linked to
  FE model
• Links with EPEA and good practice in Europe/
  Establishment of Scottish Offender Learning
  Association

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Offender Learning Offenders in CustodyFuture
Approaches?

• Development of social and learning networks
• Embedded learning
• Greater use of ICT
• Wing based learning
• Campus of offender learners (Home Office.
  2005)/secure college
• Prison Learning Centres could be used by all in
  prisons
• Prison Officer involvement

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Offender Learning Offenders in CustodyFuture
Approaches?

• Shoe horning all prisoners into basic skills is
  not the answer, for even if that works for the
  prison it can be measured against a KPI it
  does not ultimately guarantee anything in
  relation to how those prisoners will behave when
  they leave prison.
• David Wilson (2000)