Report backs prison education

A report by researchers at Nottingham Trent University has concluded that education is in high demand among prisoners and that higher education can reduce reoffending.

The report examined digital learning opportunities being offered by Coracle, a Cambridge-based company, which provides 2,750 laptops to 90 prisons in England and Wales. Having interviewed in depth a sample of users of the equipment, the authors found that digital tools could “bolster an open learning culture across the prison estate”.

James Tweed, CEO of Coracle, said: “Currently our prisons are overflowing, and we are wasting billions every year on reoffending. Yet here in this report it is spelled out in crystal clear detail – provide education to prisoners and they will embrace it.

“Prisoners love their laptops, which provide a chance to work toward a better life.”