How Prison Education Transforms Lives After Release

For over 30 years, Novus has been working with men, women, and children in prisons across England and Wales, providing access to education and opportunities for employment upon release.

According to research, 47% of prisoners entering the prison system lack any previous qualifications, and 42% have previously been expelled or permanently excluded from school. Encouraging prisoners to take part in our education provision is crucial in supporting them to find employment upon release and gain the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in society.

Prison education plays an integral role in a prisoner's rehabilitative journey. the cycle of reoffending is impossible without introducing the importance of education to our learners.

Our education teams, working with partner organisations, provide the best opportunities for our learners to succeed upon release and enter their communities rehabilitated and ready to give back.

Why prison education is important

Breaking the cycle of reoffending

Prison education and training plays a key role in changing lives and rehabilitating prisoners. Research by the Ministry of Justice highlights that prisoners who had participated in education whilst in prison were less likely to reoffend within 12 months of release.

Without qualifications and skills, individuals enter an endless cycle of committing crime and entering the prison system which can be difficult to break out of. Taking part in education and gaining essential skills and qualifications offers learners the chance to break out of the reoffending cycle and become a positive member of society.

Improved employment prospects

Studies show that ex-offenders who find a job after release are significantly less likely to reoffend, by up to nine percentage points, with employment playing a key role in reducing reoffending. However, with many prisoners lacking qualifications upon entering prison, it is vital that we give them the opportunities and education needed to thrive in society while they are in prison.

Cost-effective

Not only is prison education and training beneficial for our learners, it's also cost-effective for businesses and the community. The cost of reoffending each year is now estimated at £20.9 billion in 2024-25 prices, up from an earlier estimate of £18.1 billion.

Focusing on and investing in rehabilitation and prison education reduces the risk of reoffending, which in turn will reduce the cost to the community in the long run.

Improved mental health and well-being

Prison education can help improve learners' self-confidence, provide mental health benefits in isolating conditions, and improve their overall behaviour while in prison.

For prisoners who previously had a negative relationship with education, engaging in learning and gaining new skills and qualifications can improve their self-confidence and show them what they are capable of, improving their relationship with both education and their career prospects.

Education provision such as creative enrichment programmes can also support improved wellbeing, awaken an interest in learning, and help learners build new, positive identities.

Positive impact on the community

Learners who have access to education and job training are more likely to become responsible and contributing members of society, which can have a positive impact on the community as a whole.

Opportunities within prison education

At Novus, we are constantly looking to improve our prison education provision, providing more opportunities for our learners.

Access to digital resources

Our approach to digital learning has evolved significantly in recent years, giving both colleagues and learners the opportunity to enhance their digital skills.

This includes giving learners the chance to expand on classroom teaching through in-cell technology, freeing up staff time by using AI in lesson planning, and teaching learners to stay safe and responsible online. Together, these approaches are fostering a culture of digital literacy across our organisation and for learners.

Neurodiverse needs

At Novus, we strive to ensure all learners are able to access education that is tailored to their specific needs. Many of our learners disengaged from education early in their lives due to their neurodivergence, which ultimately contributed to the path that led them to prison.

Supporting them into prison education, and changing their relationship with education from a negative to a positive can make a real difference to their rehabilitation.

Many neurodivergent learners have difficulty with conventional teaching methods and may require specialised educational support. At Novus, we provide additional support for neurodiverse learners, including supportive learning programmes, accessible learning environments, and adapted curriculum materials, all of which help ensure they have access to the resources they need to succeed.

Our trained and experienced SENCos, tutors, trainers, teachers and support colleagues work with neurodiverse learners to develop support strategies, helping them access and progress through their education programmes.

Collaboration opportunities

Creative Collaboration

Working with partners gives us the ability to provide new and exciting enrichment opportunities for our learners, particularly through our creative enrichment provision, which brings a number of initiatives to sites across the estate.

We work with partners across a variety of fields, including drama, music, art, museums, and writing, to provide diverse and creative opportunities for learning.

Working with the Bowes Museum to provide more opportunities for learners

The Bowes Museum worked with Novus learners and colleagues at HMP Deerbolt on their project 'Unheard Voices'. The collaborative project brought together writing practitioners and learners to creatively engage with the artwork in a previous exhibition in the museum , 'Kith and Kinship: Cornish and Lowry'.

Through a combination of discussions, activities, creative writing, and visual literacy exercises, the project aimed to deepen learners' understanding of and connection to the exhibition while enhancing their creative writing skills.

The project empowered learners to produce unique interpretations of the exhibition, offering fresh perspectives for peers, families, tutors and general visitors. It was flexible and adaptive, allowing learners to share their experiences and inputs as well as actively engage. The result was a creative zine, which serves as an alternative interpretative voice for the exhibition.

Partner employers

For over 30 years, we have been working in partnership with a diverse range of local and national employers to help learners into employment upon release.

Employer partnerships enable us to create employer-led vocational training programmes and develop viable routes into employment that improve learners' opportunities on release. They also give learners access to real job opportunities across a range of industry sectors, helping them on their rehabilitative journey.

Working with partner employers to support learners into employment at HMP Low Newton

At Novus, supporting learners into employment is integral to their rehabilitation journey. Learners who are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to find employment upon release are less likely to reoffend.

HMP Low Newton had a visit from Mott MacDonald to support the prison's employment provision. A team of project managers from Mott MacDonald delivered a session to six female learners, focusing on helping them identify and develop their soft skills in preparation for future employment. The visit was facilitated collaboratively by Sarah, our Novus Works Resettlement Coordinator, and IAG provider Acron.

How Novus delivers on prison education

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

Functional skills: English, maths and digital

In a Novus education facility, learners can expect to partake in English and maths, as well as digital skills classes. These subject areas provide a basis for our learners to expand their functional skills and start their education journey.

English, maths and digital are crucial, basic requirements for finding long-term employment or further education opportunities upon release. However, many adults in custody have low ability in these areas, which can make it difficult to find employment without turning to crime.

By improving their confidence and ability in English, maths, and essential digital skills, we help learners close their skills gaps so they can find and retain work, keeping them from reoffending after release.

Vocational provision

At Novus, our vocational provision includes high-quality vocational training programmes, short courses, training workshops and experience-building opportunities delivered by experienced and skilled tutors and trainers who are experts in their field.

Our vocational subjects are vast and largely depend on the facilities available in each establishment. In many of our locations, for example, we offer bricklaying, joinery, and hairdressing, all skills that can lead directly to employment.

Creative enrichment

The final part of our curriculum is our creative enrichment provision. Our education teams work with a variety of organisations and onsite resources to provide creative enrichment activities for our learners.

Through approaches like drama classes, book clubs, painting, and music, we provide a softer introduction to education for many learners who can't be engaged through mainstream education. We also incorporate practical skills such as English in our creative enrichment provision, so that learners are still able to gain the practical skills needed to thrive upon release, but in a creative and positive learning environment.

Engaging prisoners in education

Novus colleagues also strive to engage as many prisoners into education as possible through prison-wide projects and initiatives so that prisoners can see what education offers and the potential impact it can have on their lives.

Encouraging more prisoners into education at HMP Oakwood

In 2024, HMP Oakwood held its first-ever roadshow event, providing both colleagues and prisoners the opportunity to explore the full range of services and programmes available in education.

One of the key aims of the event was to encourage colleagues and prisoners alike to become more involved in the various learning and development opportunities available.

The roadshow saw enthusiastic participation from Novus colleagues, setting up individual stalls to showcase their departments and areas of expertise. Highlights included interactive demonstrations from the music department, fun and educational maths games, and vocational training displays, all designed to provide insight into the different programmes available at HMP Oakwood.

The event was a huge success, bringing together colleagues from various disciplines and prisoners eager to engage in the activities on offer. With prisoners actively engaging in the roadshow, it is expected that there will be a positive impact on course allocations, with more prisoners choosing to take part in educational and vocational programmes.

Prison education is transforming lives across the prison estate, and there's more to discover in our education and training provision.