Novus Response To Michael Gove Proposal

Novus has welcomed Justice Secretary Michael Gove' proposal to tackle persistent re-offending by liberating prisoners through learning.

Peter Cox, Managing Director of Novus, said: “We welcome the announcement which will make education a higher priority in prisons.

“In the past there was a lack of incentive for prisoners to undertake education, but ‘earned release’ will help to provide the motivation they need to gain qualifications. Educated prisoners are more likely to gain employment on release and this will help to tackle re-offending rates.

“Novus is the top performing prison education and skills provider in the country. 80% of our inspections received either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ ratings by HMIP and Ofsted, which compares to a national figure of just 33%. One of the reasons for our success is that we work with companies such as Barclays Bank, Pret A Manger and DHL to determine the skills employers need, and we adapt our curriculum accordingly.

“Novus fully supports ‘earned release’. It will make education a priority for prison staff and help us to work in partnership with prisons to meet the challenge of engaging prisoners with education and training programmes.”