1. Nina Champion and Morwenna Bennallick Prisoners’ Education Trust
Involve, Improve, Inspire: Measuring and developing a learning culture in prison
Nina Champion and Morwenna Bennallick
Prisoners’ Education Trust

2. Prisoner Education in England and Wales: A snapshot
Prison population: 85,816
Overall reoffending rate: 26%
Trends:
Female population reducing
Under 18 reducing
Age and length of sentence increasing
Education:
Largely centrally run- OLASS contract
Low level skills priority

3. Developing Rehabilitative Cultures
‘… the active development of an environment which is safe, secure and decent, and one which assists offenders towards rehabilitation while ultimately ensuring that the public is protected.
This requires a culture where authority is
exercised confidently, consistently and
fairly in order to build trust and
improve safety.’
(NOMS, 2013) .
Resettlement
Address attitudes and Thinking
Address Drug and Alcohol Problems
Rehabilitative Cultures
Safety and Decency
‘You can’t change anyone- you can only create an environment that makes change possible’
(M. Whitelaw, HMP Swaleside)
‘Features of a rehabilitative prison: A hierarchy’ (MoJ, 2014)

4. What does a learning culture…
Look like?
Feel like?
Sound
Like?

5. Our definition of a learning culture
Empowering
Inclusive
Aspirational
Learning
Culture
Safe
Engaging/
Relevant

6. Learner Voice as part of Learning Culture
“Learner Voice is the involvement of learners and potential learners in shaping the learning opportunities that are available to them.” (NIACE)
Rudd et al (2006)

7. Involve, Improve, Inspire: The Intervention
Prisoner Learner Voice Toolkit
(PET, 2013)
Three training sessions:
Staff Only
Staff and Prisoners
Activity Launch

8. Who creates a learning culture?
Governor
Education
Provider
Gym
Staff
Prisoners
Offender
Management
Security
Officers
Careers
Service

9. Prison Sample Prison 2: Female Closed Prison Prison 1: Cat B Local
Prison 3: Cat B Local - Private
Prison 4: Open Prison
Prison 5: Cat B Local – Modern Building
Prison 6: Cat C Training – Poor Control
Prison 7: Cat C Training – Good Control
Prison 8: Young Offender Institution

10. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation

11. Successful Innovations
Relative Advantage
Compatibility
Simplicity
Trialability
Observability
Horizontal communication

12. Behavioural Insights Team
Easy
Attractive
Social
Timely
(2012)

13. Final Projects Learner Council Rebranding of education department
Prisoner newsletter
Education and Skills Champions
Prisoner Information Desks
Wing based learner reps

14. Evaluating Changes in Learning Culture
Surveys with staff and prisoners – pre and post workshop.
Observations during workshops.
Interviews with staff and prisoners – pre and post workshops.
Focus Groups with prisoner participants- post workshops
Purpose of the evaluation: to capture the change in learning and rehabilitative culture from the perspective of both staff and prisoners.

15. Visionaries & Enthusiasts
Three Cluster Model
Visionaries & Enthusiasts
Mainstream
Adopters
Characteristics
Commitment throughout
Effective communication
Buy in from Governors and staff on the ground
Consistency in approach
Control and autonomy given to prisoners
Resisters

16. Case Studies

17. Developing a learning culture across Europe
Other projects of interest across Europe include:
HIPPO: How Individual Learning Plans are Possible for Offenders
RISE partnership
FEFI: Formal Education for Female Inmate
KEYS
We would love to hear about more!

18. Now for your turn… Rate your prison or country between 1 and 5
Activity (approx 10 mins):
Where do you put yourself (prisons in your country? A prison that you work in? A prison that you know?) on this ladder?
How can you see things moving forward? Barriers, opportunities?

19. Thank you for Listening! Any Questions?