PLA: Theory of Change What is the purpose of prisoner education?

Human Capital Dr Helen Nichols h.e.nichols@leedsbeckett.ac.uk Dr Suzanne Young suzanne.young@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Overview Definition Focus Key Questions Going Forward

Definition Human Capital (in Theory of Change): Motivation to change (reflecting on own behaviour and deciding to change) Moving forward (using the tools from education to make those changes) Our direction - Symbolic Capital (Bourdieu) capability of actors to use certain practices symbolically to defend or maintain their positions in social space

Objective of phase 1 of the strand Looking at Symbolic Capital to feed back into Human Capital (Theory of Change) Actors = prisoners Practices = education Position = identity Space = the prison To understand the capability of prisoners to use education symbolically to defend or maintain their (new) identity in prison

Key Questions What motivates prisoners to undertake education and is this reflected in the outcomes? How can education in prison improve a sense of self-worth and empowerment? (moving forward, ToC) What inhibits the motivation change? (symbolic/cultural/practical) What effect does social space [in prison] have on the presentation of an individual’s (new) identity? (Goffman) Phase 2 (long term): How can motivations and change be maintained beyond the prison setting?

Moving Forward Step 1 (12 - 24 months): Connect with academics undertaking work in this area Identity Human Capital Symbolic Capital Systematic literature review re key questions Developing a theoretical framework & hypotheses re key questions Step 2 (long term): Develop research projects to explore key questions Develop an evidence-informed database

Social Capital: David Honeywell Belonging and Community Social identity Desistance University access – admissions policies Bridging the gap between prison and university

Skills, Knowledge and Employability Lead: Kirstine Szifris Research Associate Manchester Metropolitan University

“Work is the best route out of crime “Work is the best route out of crime. I have seen how getting and keeping a job can change people’s lives. The prison and probation service have an important role to help offenders build the skills and experience they need whilst they’re in prison so they can have the right attitude for work and get a job when they’re released.” David Gauke Speech, March 2018

A holistic understanding Developing skills and knowledge is part of the process of personal development and that improving employability can increase the chances of the individual making positive steps towards employment.

Assumption 1: Prisoners lack skills Tendency to characterise prisoners as being uneducated and having never worked. 32% in paid employment in the four weeks prior to custody 51 % in paid employment during the 12 months prior to custody (Brunton-Smith & Hopkins, 2014) 85 % of general population have literacy skills at Level 1 or Level 2 compared to only 50 % of prisoners 76% of general population have numeracy at EL3 or above compared to 79.4% of the prison population. (Creese, 2015)

Assumption 2: Crime is financially motivated In discussing the importance of employability as an aid to reducing recidivism, we are assuming that crime is motivated by money. A link between prison education and post-release outcomes of reduced recidivism and increased employment (Ellison et al. 2017). Evidence suggests that finding secure employment can act as a key ‘turning point’ in offenders’ lives (Sampson & Laub, 1993).

Functional Skills in prison Research to date has focussed on reviewing need Almost no research evaluating current practice either in prison or in the general population Compare outreach with classroom-based delivery Outcomes of interest: Success rates (qualifications gain and attrition) Long-term literacy improvement Behaviour and attitude differences

Personal Development The aim of this working group is to develop a clearer understanding of the importance of providing opportunity for the individual in prison to develop skills and knowledge and improve their employability. In general, we recognise that developing skills and knowledge is part of the process of personal development and that improving employability can increase the chances of the individual making positive steps towards employment. We recognise that many people enter prison having been successfully employed in the past and bring with them a range of skills and knowledge. We therefore seek to understand how these strengths can be encouraged to improve the prison learning environment. We also recognise that there are large numbers of people in prison who require basic skills training and we seek to improve our understanding of how to provide effective programme to address literacy and numeracy. Finally, our stream also considers the role of education in developing thinking skills and improving reasoning and problem solving abilities.

Are we selling false hope? Education can assist with employability, but it does not directly provide employment for the individual. Employment depends on a range of other factors. How far can/should education providers encourage employers to employ people who have come out of prison?

WELLBEING Jenny.Fogarty@lshtm.ac.uk

Wellbeing: an individual’s state of comfort, health or happiness. We consider wellbeing to be a reflection of one’s physical, mental and social position.

Criminology Education Health To what extent do prison education opportunities impact on a student wellbeing? How can we / should we measure impact on wellbeing in the prison context? What are the characteristics of education opportunities that have a positive impact on wellbeing? Not everything of value can be measured – how do we know what is valuable in order to replicate it? Criminology Education Health

Morwenna Bennallick M.Bennallick@Westminster.ac.uk Culture Morwenna Bennallick M.Bennallick@Westminster.ac.uk

Key focus: Understanding cultural impact ‘Traditional’ Prison Culture Education providing a ‘third space’ (Wilson, 2009; 2011; 2013) Learning Culture (Hodkinson et al, 2008) Placing the individual in the learning culture (not a linear process) Learning is practical, embodied and social Learning as becoming Learners described the negative prison culture including the violence and bullying, which left them feeling "traumatised" and "isolated".   However, they said education could be a "ray of light" in the darkness. The positive effect of education and peer support could push out the darker negative prison culture. “By celebrating success, you let people see. It has a ripple effect of inspiring others,” said one learner. (Theory of Change, 2016)

Objectives This working group seeks to address questions including: What does a ‘good’ learning culture in prison look like? What factors support a positive experience of a prison-based learning culture? How can a ‘good’ learning culture impact across the prison? Eg. What is the relationship to safety, violence etc?

Next steps Connecting with academics across disciplines Narrowing questions and areas of focus Embarking on systematic literature review (12 months) Ongoing knowledge sharing activities