Reading for rehabilitation

The report

The report, entitled Studying for Rehabilitation, revealed a variable image: at a number of the jails inspectors discovered wide-ranging proof of a vibrant studying tradition which was underpinned by clear methods for evaluation, educating, and making certain progress. The place studying was given a high-profile throughout the jail, there was a transparent and optimistic cultural shift: employees and prisoners alike valued achievement in studying, celebrated progress, and recognised it as a necessary life talent. At others, studying was peripheral to the work of the jail and was not seen as a crucial method to assist prisoners.

Throughout this thematic evaluate inspectors recognized six key components that contribute to an efficient studying technique. I summarise these briefly under:

1: The position of leaders

Management was central to establishing and sustaining an efficient studying tradition. In one of the best prisons, governors and senior leaders offered seen, constant, long-term help, ensuring that the library and schooling suppliers operated with a shared objective.

2: A complete-prison studying tradition

Inspectors praised prisons that had developed a optimistic tradition by which studying was embedded all through the regime and championed in any respect ranges. Uniformed employees understood and promoted the significance of studying. Studying alternatives had been marketed and accessible throughout the jail for all ranges of capacity, and prisoners’ participation was incentivised, rewarded and celebrated.

Governors and senior leaders made certain that academics, library employees and schooling suppliers labored collectively successfully. Common, minuted ‘studying conferences’ introduced collectively leaders from all components of the jail, together with security, workshops, well being care, religion, visits, key employees and the offender administration unit (OMU), to observe implementation and maintain employees accountable for progress, significantly for the least in a position readers.

3: Identification, help and monitoring

Robust methods for figuring out and supporting these most in want had been persistently in place in the best prisons. In these jails, the management made certain that each one prisoners had been screened for studying capacity, with common re-screening to observe progress of these needing assist. Clear referral routes had been understood by employees in any respect ranges. Interventions had been rigorously deliberate and coordinated, and studying progress was tracked by way of prison-wide conferences. This set an expectation that each one employees shared accountability for enchancment.

4: Interventions

In one of the best institutions there have been interventions in place to help these scuffling with studying. The Shannon Belief, a charity that helps prisoners to mentor their friends in studying, was working in lots of prisons and offered a valued service. In one of the best websites it shaped a part of a wider, well-coordinated suite of provision, together with structured, phonics-based educating delivered by skilled jail schooling academics, and outreach or classroom-based programmes tailor-made to these unable to learn. The place provision was simplest, interventions to help readers had been valued and seen as an vital path to rehabilitation slightly than merely a route into formal schooling.

Household-based initiatives, comparable to Elevating Readers and Storybook Dads/Mums, got visibility, standing and precedence, and valued as a part of a rehabilitative tradition.

5: The library

The place libraries had been open, vibrant and built-in into jail life, they had been central to making a studying tradition. Boundaries to entry had been eliminated: opening hours allowed these in work to attend and a variety of texts for all ranges and tastes of readers had been out there and publicised.

Programmes of occasions, together with creator visits, writing workshops and actions linked to well-being, household and expertise, inspired participation by all ranges of readers. Importantly, these occasions happened commonly and prisoners had been enabled by the regime to reliably entry them.

6: Seen alternatives for studying in each a part of the jail

In prisons with a powerful studying tradition, alternatives for studying had been persistently seen. Sources had been actively curated and maintained, and included books, magazines, puzzles, phrase video games and digital sources. Studying was promoted in any respect out there alternative: in workshops and schooling courses, on wings, in well being, and the gymnasium. Initiatives to offer prisoners with books comparable to First Evening Books or Give a E book, had been efficient when carried out persistently and monitored for affect.

Due to Andy Aitchison for form permission to make use of the header picture on this put up. You may see Andy’s work right here