How Education Positively Impacts Prisoner Wellbeing
Adult Provision Arts & Enrichment English & Maths Vocational Youth Provision
Prison education and training provides learners with the technical skills and qualifications needed to be successful upon release. It plays an integral role in supporting mental wellbeing, creating structure, purpose and a sense of fulfilment.
UK prisoners face higher rates of mental illness than the rest of the population. In supporting this, education and training can be truly life changing. Studies show that 11.4% of prisoners experience depression, compared to only 6-8% of those outside of prison.
Without the right support, the challenges attached to poor wellbeing can create vicious cycles, making rehabilitation harder for prisoners to achieve. Thankfully, education offers a way forward.
Education builds self-esteem, develops life skills, and creates a sense of direction. Learning can give inmates a sense of hope for their future after prison.
In this article, we’ll look at how access to education can transform learner wellbeing. It does this not just by supporting mental health, but it also gives learners the tools they need to reintegrate into society and set themselves up for success after release.
The impact of prison on wellbeing
According to research conducted by the centre for mental health, nine out of ten prisoners are thought to have at least one mental health or substance misuse problem.
Prison can be an isolating and lonely experience. It can have a detrimental impact on a prisoner’s mental health and wellbeing. Addressing the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners is helpful. Providing them with the support and services necessary is significant and can have a major impact on their successful rehabilitation.
At Novus, we support the mental health and wellbeing of learners through prison education. This education provides a positive outlet, which can have a direct and positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
How education improves learner wellbeing
Prison education can improve a learner’s mental health and wellbeing in a variety of ways. It gives learners structure and routine, helping to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Engaging in our education services, shows learners that they can partake in meaningful work and activities. It shows prisoners they can contribute positively to society, boosting their self-esteem and sense of purpose.
Prison education can unlock an individual’s true potential, showing them what they can achieve. Prison education goes beyond equipping learners with the skills and qualifications needed to thrive upon release, it also fosters personal growth and increases self-esteem.
Inspiring and encouraging learners to make a positive change in their lives isn’t possible until they believe in themselves and their abilities. Through education, learners are able to develop personally and increase their self-esteem and confidence. If learners know how they can positively contribute to society, it will give them a new-found confidence and belief in themselves. They will recognise their ability to make a positive change in their own lives.
Rehabilitating ex-offenders through prison education
Research conducted by the Ministry of Justice found that people who had participated in education whilst in prison were significantly less likely to reoffend within 12 months of release than those who had not. Prison education plays an integral role in the successful rehabilitation of offenders, which is why we try to engage as many prisoners as possible in our education offer.
How Novus supports prisoner wellbeing
At Novus we support learners in education through a variety of ways which can have a positive impact on learner wellbeing.
Education and training opportunities
We provide education and training programmes to equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful upon release.
Our prison education offer varies in our different locations to meet the demands of the region. We offer several key courses that make up our education provision. These are available in prison establishments that Novus operate in.
These are:
Education can have a huge impact on a learner’s mental health and wellbeing as it provides learners a sense of purpose. This reduces feelings of boredom and hopelessness, which can contribute to depression and anxiety.
By engaging in education, learners are able to gain new skills and qualifications. Achieving qualifications builds confidence and self-worth, helping learners see themselves in a more positive light. It shows them that they are capable of achieving and contributing positively to society.
Literacy Festival at HMP Low Newton
Recently, HMP Low Newton held a Literacy Festival. The main aims of the literacy festival were to promote the reading strategy prison-wide. It celebrated reading, creative writing and poetry. It brought together readers of all levels and raised awareness of the impact that reading and writing have on wellbeing.
Events like this not only provide learners the opportunity to engage in reading, but also show them how positive outlets such as reading and writing can help their wellbeing. It's important that we host events like this, so that we can further engage learners in education. They also provide learners with strategies and techniques that will positively impact their wellbeing. Finally, they facilitate important discussions around mental health and wellbeing.
Creative enrichment
Our creative enrichment provision is also a key area of our education offer. It is crucial in allowing us to provide a broad curriculum offer. This offering enables us to enrich a learner’s experience and deliver quality opportunities.
It also allows us to engage learners in new ways, often those who have had a previous negative relationship with education, which could have been a lack of support when in the education system at a young age. By engaging learners in education via creative enrichment projects and initiatives, it helps them build positive relationships and a joy for education. Positive feelings about education inspire them to continue their learning journey. This in turn helps them gain the relevant skills and qualifications needed to be successfully rehabilitated upon release.
Creative enrichment not only helps learners develop their creative skills, but it can also have a positive impact on their wellbeing. Creative enrichment provides learners with a positive outlet to express their feelings and emotions through art and other creative outlets.
It helps learners re-discover themselves. It also helps them develop new hobbies and interests that they may not have thought of before.
Celebrating International Men's Health Week at HMP Liverpool
At Novus, it is important that we provide the information and skills necessary to educate learners about their general health and mental health and wellbeing. This helps them to put the right steps in place to ensure they are looking after themselves and get help if/when they need to.
In June last year, HMP Liverpool arranged a collaborative wellbeing event to mark 30 years of International Men’s Health Week, a global initiative aimed at increasing awareness of male health issues.
Last year, the International Men’s Health theme focused on testicular cancer. Novus staff, learners and partner agencies all participated in the event. It saw the curriculum replaced with fun wellbeing activities such as yoga, meditation, drama and karate sessions. These were designed to boost a learner’s moods and enhance their knowledge around testicular cancer. It also aided their general wellbeing and mental health.
Employment support
We also offer employment support for learners either through our Novus Works Team, Partner Employers or by working with the Prison Employment Leads. Our experienced teams provide a wide range of support to help learners develop the skills needed to find, apply and secure a job.
Employment can have a huge positive impact on the wellbeing of former prisoners. It influences everything from mental health to social integration.
Financial stability
Having a job upon release ensures former learners are able to look after themselves financially. A steady income reduces the anxiety and stress that come with financial hardship. Financial difficulty can leave former prisoners vulnerable to reoffending. Our education programmes allow learners to become financially independent.
Improved mental health and wellbeing
Employment provides structure, purpose and a sense of achievement that many former learners may never have experienced before. Being able to provide for themselves as well as their families shows learners that they are able to contribute positively to society without having to return to a life of crime.
Social reintegration
Having a job means that learners are able to contribute positively to society. It helps them feel part of a community again. This can help to build confidence and restores dignity. It can also create opportunities to form positive social connections.
Reducing reoffending
Employment is a key factor in rehabilitation and reducing the risk of reoffending. Studies show that prison leavers who find a job after release are less likely to reoffend. This highlights the importance of learners finding employment upon release.
Employment success at HMP Styal
A former learner at HMP Styal successfully found employment with Greene King. This is thanks to the education and employment support she received from Novus and Novus Works whilst in prison.
Whilst in prison the learner initially attended the art class and then took part in the Barista class at the Bistro run by Novus. She decided to enrol on the course as it was a brand-new skill for her to learn. It was a transferable skill that she could utilise upon release, which enhanced her employment prospects.
Whilst working in the Bistro, the learner achieved her barista award, Level 2 food hygiene and her Level 2 NVQ in Hospitality services.
As well as achieving her qualifications, the learner took part in employer-led events. She was motivated to accept support from Novus Works whilst working in the Bistro. Upon release, she maintained regular contact with Novus Works and was open to all opportunities offered.
She attended several job interviews, impressing all potential employers. She is now employed by Greene King on a part-time basis as well as working part-time at Starbucks. Both employers are extremely impressed with her and Starbucks are now looking at progressing her in the role.
The support from education and the employment services that Novus offer helped her. Not only was she able to successfully find employment upon release. She was also able to develop her confidence and belief in herself. This further motivated her to change her life and find employment upon release.
How Novus can help
Supporting prison education initiatives can help break the cycle of offending and improve overall wellbeing. Find out more about what we do at Novus or contact us to find out how you can work with us to support learner wellbeing & rehabilitation.
