PCF5:Improving access: the role of higher education and distance education in prisons

Title of session
... Improving Access: The Role of Higher and Distance Education in Prisons...

Session details

 * Date: ... 15th July -16th July ...
 * Time: ... am/pm...
 * Room: ... Room 828...

Session papers
Anne Pike: COLMSCT CETL, Open University, UK Peter Mortimer: CNED, France Dr Antonio Viedma Rojas: UNED, Spain Dr. T. Irwin and Dr. D. A. Wilson, UNESCO Centre, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Dr. Sushmita Mitra, India

Points for future action (Policy, recommendations, commitments etc.)

 * We will produce diagrams to show:-

1. Time Line of the Offender’s journey, encompassing the offender’s learning journey  but also including the offender’s external environment. See Peter’s diagrams – layers of external environments – see also Tracy’s diagrams.

2. The transition between the prisoner’s stages. The aim will be make these transitions seamless:- •	learner’s starting point - into prison (aspirations to learning, previous educational experiences, Rees and Gorard in Wales have work on this); do teachers really understand that? Results from eurodesip – CNED to provide teacher training – see also D. Wilson – ‘third space’ work; •	during their prison sentence – Wilkinson’s work with Prison Officers (Sheffield Hallam); after their sentence and •	back into society – see Equal papers + O’Keefe. Links with probation and NGOs

The main message is that HE and ODL must be adapted to the prison environment.

3 major areas for development have been identified:-

1. Prison Institution Priorities •	Security v Education/Rehabilitation •	Media/public perception – more community focused •	Security officer and other prison staff development •	Women in prison •	ICT and Internet access •	Physical re-organization for education – separate wings – paramilitary model or Prison specialism – vocational/arts etc.

2. Educational Priorities •	An educational system which adequately acknowledges the unique prison culture and environment. •	Pedagogy •	Connections between Formal and informal education •	Teacher training - •	A meaningful Curriculum –	employability –	self esteem –	reintegration into society on release •	Program Design •	Languages

3. Strategic Priorities •	Funding •	Multi-agency working – probation, employers, HE providers, international NGOs •	ICT: European-wide platform as the future. Eg. E-learning network, Bologna, Virtual campus. Hole in wall (Sushmita), mobile technologies •	Early interventions (before prison) •	Media perception –