You don’t know what’s going on behind those eyes” – educators describe life in Britain’s women’s prisons

For International Women’s Day 2024, digital learning staff reflect on their experiences working with women in prison to help get them ready for life outside

“What I really love about my job is that I can make a difference sometimes, and that’s what gets me out of bed,” says Coracle staff member Jenny.

Coracle is a King’s Award-winning digital learning company based in Cambridge, UK. Its staff visit women in prison every day to help them learn digital skills and take courses run by organisations such as The Open University, Prison Education Trust and the Aim Awards.

“After one course, we were handing out the certificates,” says Jenny. “A woman in her fifties burst out crying and everyone stopped clapping. She looked at me and she said: ‘I’ve never had a certificate in my whole life’. She was crying tears of joy”