Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #6 - Innovation in Education - Voices from the Front Line (ACJ6-A007)

Article 7: Education And Vocational Training-Why The Differences Are Important (ACJ6-A007)

Abstract

Countries across the world have similar objectives for educating and training their citizens, with demanding targets to promote lifelong learning, mobility, equity, social cohesion and active citizenship. Objectives for educating and training prisoners, however, tend to focus on employment. Important differences in ‘education’ and ‘vocational training’ must be considered for effective planning and delivery, to ensure prisoners have individual choices and opportunities to reach their full potential. The tendency for prison administrators to focus on provision of vocational training to boost postrelease employment, is interrogated. A more nuanced understanding of the role of education and training in prisons is suggested.

Please log in to download the full article. Access is available exclusively to ICPA Full, Staff, and Professional Members.

Authors

Dr. Anne Pike

Visiting Fellow, Associate Lecturer, Institute of Educational Technology, United Kingdom

Dr. Anne Pike is a Visiting Fellow and Associate Lecturer in the Institute of Educational Technology at the UK’s Open University, an Adjunct Research Fellow in the Digital Life Lab at the University of Southern Queensland, and an independent consultant in prison education. Anne has worked in and around prisons for nearly 20 years, as a manager, inspector, lecturer and ultimately a researcher with an award-winning longitudinal study investigating the impact of higher education for prisoners through the gate. She was the former manager of prison education for the Open University, that has provided higher education to prisoners for 50 years and currently has 1500 undergraduate students across most prisons in the UK. As such, she was responsible for designing the first OU prospectus for prisoners and arranging a £1 million+ contract for OU Access provision for prisoners with the UK Government.

Helen Farley

Director, Digital Life Lab, University of Southern Queensland, Australia

Lecturer Associate Professor Helen Farley is the Director of the Digital Life Lab at the University of Southern Queensland. She has worked extensively in partnership with correctional jurisdictions across Australia to introduce digital technologies into prisons to provide access to secure digital education. She is the project leader of the $AUD4.4 million Australian government-funded Making the Connection project which has developed in-cell technologies to allow prisoners to participate in higher education. To date, the project is active in Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Over 1700 prisoners have been enrolled in university programs with retention rates higher than for non-incarcerated university students and with slightly higher examination results. She will soon be leaving the University of Southern Queensland to join the Department of Corrections New Zealand.

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #6 - Innovation in Education - Voices from the Front Line (ACJ6-A007)

Related topics

You may also be interested in