Why Education in Prison?

 

 

 

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Educational activities in prisons, primarily developed by social organisations and youth services (GLLAM, 2008:23), represent a completely new field of work for museums and galleries, who for the first time are facing completely different rules, modus operandi, timing and goals.

 

“Prisoners’ right to education is a human right, grounded in human dignity and respect for persons” (Vorhous, 2014:163). Yet the development of prison education is challenged by the argument that the main purpose of incarceration is “not to further education and training, but to provide a secure detention” (Hurry and Rogers, 2014:159). Furthermore, it is not uncommon for people who find themselves in prison to have experienced setbacks and failures in their early education, creating a barrier to adult education which must be overcome (Folarin et al, 2011).

 

All modern European penitentiaries provide some form of education, yet the variety and quality of the activities they provide can differ hugely (Costelloe and Warner, 2014:175). Indeed, there is a lack of clarity about what comprises prison education. Most education programmes are offered with specific aims or purposes, for example preparation for employment, addressing behavioural or other issues, and to facilitate the offender’s rehabilitation into wider society. On the other hand, some educational programmes pursue adult education and life-long learning goals, in line with the policies of the Council of Europe (1990). This approach offers a far richer form of education which can provide a more comprehensive, lasting and transformative experience for offenders (Council of Europe, 1990).

 

The quality of educational programmes provided in European prisons varies according to national perceptions of their prison populations, variously valuing them as offenders who may benefit from rehabilitation, to citizens entitled to education. The Council of Europe’s penal policy defines prisoners as citizens and members of society, therefore considering adult education “a fundamental factor of equality of educational opportunity and cultural democracy” (Council of Europe, 1990).

 

The 2011 European Commission recognises three broad categories of prison education. The first is organised similarly to a secondary school curriculum addressing adult needs and interests. The second type is more evidently a training programme, focused on developing basic skills for future employability. The third type addresses offending behaviour, with courses tackling issues like anger management and addictions (Costelloe and Warner, 2014). Although all three categories are labelled under the common name of “education”, there are important differences between vocational training courses and more formal education. Training courses are generally skills-focused, geared towards increasing the employability of an offender on their rehabilitation into society. More academic education programmes are usually “concerned with understanding, and with the values generated from that understanding, and are focused ultimately on developing the capacity for critical reflection” (Costelloe and Warner, 2014:177).

 

According to Costelloe and Warner, quality education programmes can transform prisoners’ perceptions of self and of others, and it is these perceptions which determine the way they will act on rehabilitation. Indeed, education can have the capacity to give offenders control over their lives and to alter their self-perception – from being a “criminal” or a “failure” to a person of self-worth and capable of success (Darkenwald and Merriam, 1982 in Vorhous, 2014:165). However, Costelloe and Warner also recognise that underlying national perceptions of offenders as a “type” will impact the style of education pursued in prisons across Europe. Where prisoners are primarily thought of as criminal offenders, education programmes largely focus on behavioural issues seen as the root cause of their offending. Similarly, where greater significance is given to offenders’ intellectual and personal development, educational programmes will reflect this.

 

The principles of the Council of Europe’s 1990 report were at the heart of the “Unlocking Potential” educational programme offered by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in 2013. The programme addresses the personal, social and psychological needs of prisoners with the aim of transforming their lives through the development of activities promoting pro-social identities, building “on an individual’s strengths and potential” (SPS, 2013:3).

 

Often run separately to general prison education programmes with employment or behavioural focuses, family learning programmes are usually more similar to adult and community education initiatives. These models of learning are supported by Costelloe and Warner, who advocate the benefits of programmes that allow participants to develop “a rich educational experience rather than a range of skills”, targeting individuals as a person, not a prisoner (Hurry and Rogers, 2014:160).

 

Family activities can take place in settings as varied as schools, libraries, museums, hospitals and community, religious and sport centres, as well as in prisons themselves. Although important developments have been made, the provision of family activities can still be poor as museums are often constrained by limited timescales and the level at which courses are aimed (Hurry and Rogers, 2014:160). New developments have included the establishment of “project-based” education programmes designed to complement “strengths and aspirations among the prisoners” and promote the “development of pro-social identities” (Ibid:160).

Through “family learning days”, extended visits taking place in a more informal setting in prisons, child-centered activities can be provided “for the whole family to enjoy” (Down the Line, 2009).

 

 

Bettina Di Salvo, 2014