Events · Howard League events
Spotlights – Class action: What needs to change in prison education and training?
“Too many prisoners are spending their time in jail lying on their beds watching daytime television, often under the influence of drugs. Until leaders in the prison service take the provision of high-quality education and training more seriously, it is hard to see how appallingly high reoffending rates can be reduced.”
So wrote HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, last month, in a depressing but essential thematic report focused on the quality of work and training provided in prisons.
The report came at a critical time for prison education. The Prison Governors’ Association has suggested that education budgets are being cut by more than 5% for most prisons, as a result of new contracts that came into effect from 1 October. Some prisons appear to be affected particularly severely; the Guardian newspaper reported in September that the budget for classroom courses in Leicester prison is being reduced by 46.5%.
What will this mean for people living and working in prisons? Join us online and ask questions as we discuss this important issue with a panel of experts.
This event will be chaired by Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform. The panel will include:
- Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.
- Jon Collins, Chief Executive of Prisoners’ Education Trust.
- Cathy McGuinness, postgraduate criminology student with lived experience.
This free event will be held on Tuesday 11 November, from 12pm to 1.15pm, online via Zoom webinar.
For anyone who cannot make it, this event will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel.
About the Howard League Spotlights series
Howard League Spotlights is a series of events aimed at lifting the lid on prisons and finding more effective ways to reduce crime. Each event focuses on a particular theme and brings together experts to approach the issue from different perspectives.
Spotlights events are free of charge, but if you would like to support our work, please consider becoming a Howard League member.
Recordings of all Spotlights events can be viewed here.
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