Education should be understood in its broader sense to encompass any form and method of helping a person acquire or enhance their knowledge and expertise in a given area: professional, social, emotional or intellectual. 

 

Therefore, the term educator is much broader than the term teacher. 

 

Education does not need to be always offered in a comprehensive manner, short and well-structured courses can also be very helpful, especially taking into consideration the personal capacities and dispositions of offenders. A screening needs to be carried out at the start in order to identify possible learning disabilities which often are unnoticed in order to facilitate the learning process by adapting it to such cases. 

 

Desistence is a long process and not a linear one, so support and understanding are a key element in ensuring stable desistance from crime. 

 

Education should be part of a comprehensive plan for supporting a person to go back to the right path in life, it should be coupled with assisting in finding employment and housing as well, helping resolve health-related issues and ensuring continuity of support over a period of time, inside and outside penal institutions.

 

Opening up of prisons to the outside world by inviting educators from schools, universities, enterprises, sports, theatrical and artistic associations, etc. can allow to build relationships and trust and can help find viable options for social reintegration after release.