§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on prison inmates of the education programmes provided; and what estimate he has made of the re-offending rate of former inmates who have done well on the courses. [64478]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation on the re-offending rate of former inmates who have done well on courses is not available.
A pilot study on the effectiveness of regimes was undertaken by the Prison Service in 1995–96. This showed that participation on educational/vocational courses reduced the rates of re-conviction provided that they were undertaken by offenders who had a need in that area. The study showed that education may lead to improved attitudes in respect of criminal lifestyle with the offender developing a new perspective on his or her behaviour.
Education and work programmes in prisons are increasingly being offered as an integrated package with priority given to improving basic skills. As specific basic educational standards are a pre-requisite to obtaining employment after release, these programmes are seen as potentially extremely valuable to offenders when they are seeking employment.