Education and the Price of Crime in the UK
- The government in the UK is calling for better education in prisons. According to the BBC, prisons in England are under review by parliament in an effort to improve the educational programmes in prisons across the country. Skills minister John Hayes told reporters that effective education is vital to the justice system because education improves the chances that an inmate will find employment upon being released. Being able to offer a skill and find a job is “essential” in preventing criminals from committing a second or third crime, and to help them create positive role models for their families. In the UK, half the men and more than 70% of the women have no job qualifications at all. Two-thirds do not have a literacy level above the age of 11.
Complications in effective education plans for prisons in the UK arose in part due to job cuts and pay freezes for education staff. As a result, teachers have more work and less pay which has caused senior leaders to find work elsewhere. This meant the loss of mentoring support for those teachers with less experience.
The price of crime is not only high for the delinquent but also for the state. Functioning prison facilities cost tax- payers roughly £60bn a year in England, with £9bn as a result of re-offending. Mr. Hayes was quoted as saying, ¨the last thing society needs is people reverting to crime because they are, or feel they are, capable of nothing better. That is not good for society and it is not good for the offender. But we must have value for money – the review I am undertaking will look at current courses and where they can be better tailored to social needs.”
Reference | BBC
Tags: BBC, Course, Higher Education in Prison, Prison, United Kingdom
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