Education in The Prison System

Education matters in prison because it helps people build a better future for themselves and their communities.  

Prison education and training gives people the chance to learn new skills, improve their confidence, and prepare for work after release. Most importantly, it helps reduce reoffending. 

This article looks at how prison education makes a real difference, from improving behaviour inside prison to supporting people into jobs when they leave.  

It also explains what Novus offers, how our programmes work, and the impact we see across more than 50 prisons in England and Wales. 

What Novus does

For over 30 years, Novus has worked with people of all ages to bring valuable education and enrichment programmes to prisons across England and Wales. 

Over 47% of prisoners in the UK don’t have any formal education qualifications, so it's no wonder that breaking the cycle of reoffending seems impossible without introducing the importance of education to our learners first. 

By working with our adult provison partners and educator teams, we offer routes to success for learners upon release, empowering them to re-enter their communities rehabilitated and ready to give back. 

What are the benefits of prison education?

Prison education is proven to offer extensive benefits, including: 

Improved employment prospects

Individuals who receive an education while in prison are 13% more likely to find employment opportunities upon release.  

57% of prisoners in the UK have low levels of literacy, meaning that even many entry level jobs are inaccessible to them.  

Novus encourages prisoners to learn to read and write, setting them up for success in their future job searches. 

Prison education cuts costs

We know that reoffending costs around £18 billion every year, which means prison education and training aren’t just beneficial for our learners; they're also cost-effective on an economic level across the UK. 

Investing in prison education helps reduce reoffending and long-term costs by lowering the number of people returning to prison. 

At a time when recruitment costs are rising, employers are seeing the value in hiring skilled individuals through our programmes. 

We work with partner employers to shape our curriculum, so learners leave with the right skills for real jobs. 

Our education-to-employment approach helps businesses train and hire motivated, work-ready candidates. 

Promoting rehabilitation to reduce reoffending

We know that prison learners are less likely to reoffend after they’re released. Learning gives them a better chance of building a stable, independent life, and staying out of prison for good. 

Education helps people gain the skills they need for work, while also building confidence, motivation and self-discipline. It can be the first step towards a more positive future. 

Many learners in prison face extra challenges. A 2016 study found that around 32% of people in prison reported having a learning difficulty or disability. 

At Novus, we work with expert teaching staff and partner organisations to support these learners. We help them rebuild their confidence, overcome past negative experiences of school, and re-engage with education in a way that works for them. 

Positive impact on the community

Giving prisoners access to education and positive destinations after release isn't just about personal development; it's also about fostering safer and more prosperous communities across the nation.  

Ex-offenders who engage with education, enrichment, and job training are more likely to become rehabilitated members of society, creating a positive knock-on impact on their communities.  

As learners gain expanded knowledge and expertise, they not only enhance their employability but also gain a heightened sense of identity and self-worth. 

This transformation significantly reduces the likelihood of ex-offenders returning to crime, reducing reoffending and making communities safer on a wider scale. 

What are the challenges to prison education?

Many people in prison have had little or no formal education. Some come to us with no qualifications, and many don’t trust the education system because of bad experiences in the past. 

We work hard to rebuild that trust. Creative enrichment sessions often help people re-engage with learning. From there, we support them to develop core skills in English, maths, digital literacy, and vocational training. 

Another challenge is the movement of people between prisons - learners are often transferred, which can interrupt their progress. That’s why we make the most of the time we have with each person, offering flexible and focused support from day one. 

Our teams carry out assessments when someone arrives at a new site, so we can continue their learning as smoothly as possible.  

Because we work nationally, we can track prisoners’ progress and adapt quickly, even when learners move between prisons. 

What education is available for prisoners?

In both our adult and youth programmes, we offer a wide range of vocational and academic courses for learners to engage in.  

In a Novus education facility, learners can expect to take part in English and Maths studies, as well as digital and vocational skills classes.  

These subjects offer a basis for growth and are fundamental to success in the lives of learners, post-release  

Our vocational subjects are vast and largely depend on the facilities available in each facility. In many locations, we offer bricklaying, joinery, and hairdressing; all skills which can lead directly into employment.  

We work with employer partners to ensure that our learners gain relevant skills that will benefit them upon release.  

For these subjects, we aim to utilise educators who have experience in particular fields and who can therefore provide first-hand insights into preparing for a career.  

Creative Enrichment in prison education

Another major component of our curriculum is our creative arts and enrichment provisions. Our education teams work with a variety of organisations and onsite resources to provide creative enrichment activities for our learners.  

Enriching and engaging creative arts programmes, courses, initiatives, and learner opportunities all support health and well-being, while also improving behaviour and attainment. 

Incorporating English, Maths, digital and vocational skills into these programmes helps re-engage learners and promote positive future outcomes. 

Through outlets such as drama, book clubs, painting and music, we provide a soft introduction to education for those who have had limited or negative academic experiences.  

Getting learners involved this way makes it easier to engage them in practical studies, while still strengthening fundamental skills like creativity and teamwork. 

Who provides prison education in the UK?

At Novus, we work in partnership with prisons, partner employers, and charitable organisations across England and Wales to supply education offerings at each location. 

With over 50 locations, our specialist teams support adult and young offenders alike in developing skills and confidence to boost employability post-release from prison, and ultimately reduce re-offending. 

Bringing education to adults and young people in custody gives them a path to breaking the cycle of reoffending and incarceration, while enhancing the opportunities that are available post-release. 

Learn more about what Novus does

If you’d like to find out more about the impact of prison education, or how you can support or work with us at Novus, we’d love to hear from you. 

It doesn’t matter if you're an employer, education provider, commissioner, or community organiser - there are many ways to get involved in helping people in prison build brighter futures. 

Get in touch to explore partnership opportunities or learn more about our work across the prison system.