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Prison education must be 'overhauled', Michael Gove says Prison education must be 'overhauled', Michael Gove says
(35 minutes later)
Education in prisons must be overhauled in order to reduce re-offending and make prisoners more employable, the justice secretary has said.Education in prisons must be overhauled in order to reduce re-offending and make prisoners more employable, the justice secretary has said.
Michael Gove suggested "earned release" for inmates in England and Wales who work hard on their education.Michael Gove suggested "earned release" for inmates in England and Wales who work hard on their education.
Prison officers said they had heard similar "rhetoric" before and questioned how the plans would work.Prison officers said they had heard similar "rhetoric" before and questioned how the plans would work.
Mr Gove also spoke about closing "ageing and ineffective" prisons and giving more powers to governors.Mr Gove also spoke about closing "ageing and ineffective" prisons and giving more powers to governors.
Earlier this week, chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said the government's "rehabilitation revolution", launched five years ago at the outset of the coalition, had not even started.Earlier this week, chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said the government's "rehabilitation revolution", launched five years ago at the outset of the coalition, had not even started.
He said in his annual report that prisons were in their worst state for a decade and some jails were "places of violence, squalor and idleness".He said in his annual report that prisons were in their worst state for a decade and some jails were "places of violence, squalor and idleness".
Giving a speech at the Prisoner Learning Alliance, Mr Gove said there were "technical and complex policy questions" about how change should be implemented and he would be "open to good ideas". In his first major speech since being appointed justice secretary in May, Mr Gove said there were "technical and complex policy questions" about how change should be implemented.
Prison education, work and re-offending How educated is the prison population?
In his first speech on the issue since being appointed as justice secretary in May, Mr Gove said society was collectively to blame for the failure to "redeem and rehabilitate" offenders, and called for an end to the "idleness and futility" of prison life. Source: Ministry of Justice, 2012
Speaking at the Prisoner Learning Alliance, Mr Gove said society was collectively to blame for the failure to "redeem and rehabilitate" offenders and called for an end to the "idleness and futility" of prison life.
The justice secretary said he wanted to look at "earned release" for offenders who are committed to education and gain qualifications that are respected by employers.The justice secretary said he wanted to look at "earned release" for offenders who are committed to education and gain qualifications that are respected by employers.
He said the proposals could be piloted first or introduced in a more radical way and said no decisions had been made yet.He said the proposals could be piloted first or introduced in a more radical way and said no decisions had been made yet.
If prisons moved to such a system, it would be a major change from the current policy under which most prisoners are automatically released on licence at the halfway point of their sentence.If prisons moved to such a system, it would be a major change from the current policy under which most prisoners are automatically released on licence at the halfway point of their sentence.
Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "The challenge now is to translate this marked new reflective tone set by the Justice Secretary into sensible policy and to create a just, humane and effective penal system."Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "The challenge now is to translate this marked new reflective tone set by the Justice Secretary into sensible policy and to create a just, humane and effective penal system."
How educated is the prison population? Prison education, work and re-offending
Source: Ministry of Justice, 2012
'Missed opportunity''Missed opportunity'
Jonathan Robinson, who was jailed for 17 weeks for theft in 2011 and now campaigns for education in prisons, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there were "a great many prisoners" who were "dying to engage" in training.Jonathan Robinson, who was jailed for 17 weeks for theft in 2011 and now campaigns for education in prisons, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there were "a great many prisoners" who were "dying to engage" in training.
He said: "During a totally deserved prison sentence I saw missed opportunity after missed opportunity after missed opportunity for rehabilitation in prison via education.He said: "During a totally deserved prison sentence I saw missed opportunity after missed opportunity after missed opportunity for rehabilitation in prison via education.
"I am thrilled that Mr Gove's initial toe in the water on his prison policy is that he's flagged education as the key.""I am thrilled that Mr Gove's initial toe in the water on his prison policy is that he's flagged education as the key."
Steve Gillan, the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association union, said it "cautiously" welcomed the proposals but said "the devil will be in the detail".Steve Gillan, the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association union, said it "cautiously" welcomed the proposals but said "the devil will be in the detail".
"I've been around the prison system a long time, in excess of 25 years, and I've heard all of this rhetoric before over 25 years and it's always failed."I've been around the prison system a long time, in excess of 25 years, and I've heard all of this rhetoric before over 25 years and it's always failed.
"Now in order to make it work there's got to be clear policies, a clear understanding and the resources given to it to make it work.""Now in order to make it work there's got to be clear policies, a clear understanding and the resources given to it to make it work."
He added that it was also important to address the "root causes" of people going to prison, such as drug and alcohol dependency and mental illness.He added that it was also important to address the "root causes" of people going to prison, such as drug and alcohol dependency and mental illness.
'One nation' Prison closures
"No government serious about building one nation, no minister concerned with greater social justice, can be anything other than horrified by our persistent failure to reduce re-offending," Mr Gove said. Mr Gove said there had been a "persistent failure to reduce re-offending".
"In prisons there is a - literally - captive population whose inability to read properly or master basic mathematics makes them prime candidates for re-offending. "In prisons there is a - literally - captive population whose inability to read properly or master basic mathematics makes them prime candidates for re-offending," he said.
"Ensuring those offenders become literate and numerate makes them employable and thus contributors to society, not a problem for our communities."Ensuring those offenders become literate and numerate makes them employable and thus contributors to society, not a problem for our communities.
"The failure to teach our prisoners a proper lesson is indefensible. I fear the reason for that is, as things stand, we do not have the right incentives for prisoners to learn or for prison staff to prioritise education. And that's got to change." "The failure to teach our prisoners a proper lesson is indefensible."
Mr Gove also proposed giving governors more control and rewarding them if offenders do well. Mr Gove said there were not the "right incentives" for prisoners to learn and proposed giving governors more control and rewarding them if offenders do well.
He said one of the "biggest brakes on progress" in all prisons is the "lack of operational autonomy and genuine independence enjoyed by governors" - who are often set very tight criteria on how prison life should be managed. He also suggested that some ageing Victorian prisons should close.
Mr Gove also suggested that some ageing Victorian prisons should close.
He said the current prison estate was "out of date, overcrowded and, in far too many cases, insanitary and inadequate".He said the current prison estate was "out of date, overcrowded and, in far too many cases, insanitary and inadequate".
The money raised from selling off sites would be "significant" and could be reinvested in a "modern estate", he added.The money raised from selling off sites would be "significant" and could be reinvested in a "modern estate", he added.
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