Full curriculum
Discover the 250 different courses we offer to people in prison, from beekeeping to book keeping, plumbing to Portuguese, up to degree level.
More courses than ever in new curriculum
People in prison now have the chance to turn their minds to Youth Justice, Human Resources and even Beginners Chinese thanks to a host of new subjects on offer in PET’s 2018 curriculum.
Getting the new prison education contracts right
The Ministry of Justice will soon begin the bidding process for prison education provision. Here is what we know about the contracts so far.
Stopping the neglect of children caught up in the criminal justice system
In our submission to the Commission on Young Lives, we highlight the poor treatment of children in prisons and secure training centres.
Women in prison: PET submits written evidence to parliament
Prisoners’ Education Trust has submitted written evidence to the Justice Select Committee inquiry on women in prison, as it explores how well women’s needs are met in prison.
Children’s education in prison: “Woefully lacking and poorly delivered”
Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in England are taking too long to recover from the pandemic, according to the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) Annual Report.
Making the case for prison education: PET responds to parliamentary inquiry
Seven changes that would make a real difference to prison learners and help to unlock their potential. Our suggestions to the Education Select Committee’s inquiry.
Ofsted Annual Report: a concerning picture of prison education
The Ofsted Annual Report paints a concerning picture of prison education, with many prisons still not showing enough signs of improvement. PET’s Head of Policy takes a look at what needs to change.
What does education mean to you? People in prison respond
Six talented artists from prisons across England have won PET’s Paint-a-Postcard competition, celebrating the charity’s 30th anniversary. The cards then carried messages from over 50 serving prisoners, explaining what education meant to them.
PET’s 30th celebration
Pictures, postcards and inspiration from our 30th birthday party, as staff, trustees, former prisons learners, supporters and founders gathered to help us celebrate.
Welcome to our new website
Our new site is clearer, quicker and more accessible – a hub for supporters, prison staff, and alumni alike.
University of East Anglia HMP Highpoint
Model: The Crito Project
The Crito Project is a registered teaching charity, in partnership with the University of East Anglia and People Plus, delivering accredited face-to-face higher education curriculum in UK prisons. Inspired and mentored by the Bard College Prison Initiative in the US, the Crito Project has grown since its inception nine years ago.
Today we deliver an 18-month curriculum of free higher education in philosophy, logic, ethics and literature to students serving their sentences in the east of England. We currently teach solely at HMP Highpoint, but have plans to extend our provision, our curriculum and the number of students we teach. Put simply, the Crito Project plans to reimagine what higher education is for by changing where it takes place. To read more, please visit our website: http://www.thecritoproject.org
London South Bank University HMP Pentonville
Model: Learning Together
“The course was a time and space for students to learn in a new environment however it represents more than that. The personal and academic connections the students are making are transcending the physical boundaries imposed on them.”
An optional addition to an undergraduate degree in education, the partnership took eight LSBU students into HMP Pentonville, where they joined 12 Pentonville students to take a module on Education for Social Justice. This diverse group explored how education is used as a tool for social change and the factors that might influence that such as history, curriculum, theories of learning, technology and assessment.
New prison education contracts create challenges and opportunities
In April, we’ll see the biggest changes in prison education for many years. As with all major change, this brings risks and challenges, but it also brings real opportunity.
Learning from our learners
We want to learn from the men and women who we fund – to gain perspectives that are honest, personal and rooted in reality. So recently we held workshops in three prisons to find out their perspectives.
I drew my way out of prison: Erika’s story
When Erika went to prison she set herself the task of drawing a postcard a day for the whole of her sentence. Getting funding for a BA Hons in Visual Arts inside opened the door to working as an artist and tutor after release.
“I want education closer to the heart of prisons”: An interview with the MoJ’s Deputy Director of Education
We talk to Linda Kennedy, the senior civil servant responsible for some of the most significant changes to come to prison learning in decades.
Worshipful Company of Educators celebrate prison education staff
The eight winners of the Inspirational Educators awards included three education staff nominated by PET.
UCAS bans the box, promoting fair chances in higher education
UCAS will no longer require people to disclose a past conviction when applying for most university courses, in a decision that was called for by PET, Unlock and the Longford Trust.
Working it out: Does the new education and employment strategy add up?
On 24 May, Justice Secretary David Gauke announced a new strategy for education and employment in, and out, of prison. Much of it wasn’t new, there were positive statements of intent, and some disappointments. But is the financial investment going to be there to make it a reality?
