How Functional Skills Reduce Recidivism

How do functional skills help break the cycle of reoffending?

Functional skills - like English, Maths, and gigital skills - give prison leavers the confidence and ability to build stable, independent lives.

Functional skills are essential for:

• Finding and keeping a job
• Accessing further education or training
• Managing money and everyday tasks
• Reconnecting with family and community

Without this foundation, ex-prisoners are much more likely to face unemployment, instability, and social exclusion - all of which are key drivers of reoffending.

Every year, reoffending costs the taxpayer around £18 billion. Without providing prison education services to prisoners, there’s no way to end this cycle and return value to our communities.

For over 30 years, we’ve been working with men, women, and children of various skill levels in the service across England and Wales to lower the reoffending rate.

Levels of education in UK prisons

Reoffending is a complex issue which takes an entire justice system to address. But by providing English and Maths education to prisoners, we can reduce the challenges that learners face and provide the support they need to lead a happy and rehabilitated life.

Without basic education, many people leaving prison are at a real disadvantage.

• 57% of adult prisoners have literacy levels lower than an 11-year-old.
• 47% of people entering prison have no qualifications.
• 30% of prisoners have a learning disability, compared to the 2.5% national average.

These figures show just how far behind many prisoners are when it comes to core skills.

To help them rebuild their lives and reduce the chances of reoffending, we need to give them flexible and focused education, starting with the basics.

Functional skills in English and Maths give learners the tools they need to move forward and succeed after release.

Impact of prison education on reoffending

Tackling reoffending requires the combined efforts of the Ministry of Justice, partner organisations, as well as education providers like us.

Education plays a big part in giving people the tools they need to move on from prison and build a better future.

Here’s education in prison can impact reoffending:

1. Prison education reduces reoffending rates

Over 20% of ex-prisoners go on to reoffend, with the number rising to over 55% for prisoners on sentences shorter than 3 months.

Through the support of prison education and guidance on release, we aim to reduce this impact, creating safer communities and empowering individuals to succeed.

2. It makes communities safer

When people leave prison with stronger skills and more confidence, they’re in a better position to find work, avoid reoffending, and rebuild their lives. That benefits everyone—not just the individual.

3. It gives prison learners structure

Getting involved in education early in a sentence helps build routine and a sense of purpose. That structure can be the first step towards long-term change and a more positive mindset.

4. Learning helps offenders build soft skills

At Novus, our functional skills programmes are integrated with other activities too. This includes vocational training, distance learning, creative arts, and enrichment.

This not only helps learners practice what they’re learning in real-life situations, but it also helps them develop soft skills which are essential for a smoother return to their communities.

5. It shows how learning connects to everyday life

From reading and applying to job adverts to managing money or using technology at work, English, Maths and digital skills are essential for day-to-day life.

At Novus, we help learners see the value in building these core skills, so they leave prison better prepared for whatever comes next.

Why functional skills are important for learners in prisons

Functional skills form the basis for the education that we engage our learners in down the line. Not only that, but they are requirements to most careers and daily life.

But this is all stuff we know - we’ve been working hard for over 30 years to provide the chances that our learners need and deserve.

More recently, we’ve worked to meet the challenges pointed out in the government review into reading in prisons. Tackling this has required the creativity and determination of our colleagues across the country.

At HMP Hewell, our education team has been bridging the gap between English and digital training using modern-day slang versions of Literature Classics like Romeo and Juliet.

This builds upon the great work that we saw from the establishment in 2023 where they pushed for more awareness of and participation in the library facilities and activities for learners.

In the same vein, we have been growing our long-term partnership with the libraries in our establishments, providing support and guidance on their campaigns, and using their expertise to assist in our own.

As a reward for determination and effort in their education, learners in some sites can use book vending machines, and other establishments are running book clubs to create relaxing and safe environments to take part in reading for fun.

Help us build brighter futures through education

Maths, English, and digital skills are basic requirements for navigating life - without these basics, it’s much harder for prison leavers to move forward.

By laying this important groundwork, we can cut down the cycle of reoffending to the benefit of our communities and learners.

With the contributions from our amazing team across England and Wales, we welcome Ofsted’s fresh focus on reading for enjoyment and skills and confidence development.

We’re always open to working with partners who share our mission.

If you’d like to help us make a lasting impact, explore the work we’re doing with our partner organisations to strengthen education in prisons and build safer communities every day