Prison chiefs are planning to improve the education on offer to inmates.

An application for Lottery Trust funding has been submitted to cover the cost of refurbishing construction workshops, while a number of staff are working to boost their own qualifications to assess the work of prisoners in the gym, kitchen, cleaning and horticulture.

On top of that, a new education programme for young offenders is due to be launched in the prison at Jurby.

coronavirus

Home Affairs Minister Graham Cregeen said the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year had given an opportunity to rebalance the education programme.

He said: ’Prison authorities have recently used the lockdown period to start with a blank canvas and introduce new regimes so that nothing clashes with education and offenders are either in work, education or on the wing in their cell.’

As of July, 62% of the prison population - 54 out of 86 - attended some form of education class.

Mr Cregeen, responding to a written Tynwald question from Jason Moorhouse, said: ’Most offenders have been disengaged from education from an early age and have truanted or been excluded from school.

’It is recognised education is the key to help offenders turn their lives around and gain skills and attributes to help them develop and become positive members of our community.

’Statistics show time and time again that education is one of the biggest factors in reducing reoffending.’

The maximum class size is seven, allowing inmates to receive more one-to-one support. Offenders are offered an optional assessment on their literacy and numeracy skills. So far, 23 prisoners have completed a new form of assessment, that matches that used by University College Isle of Man.

’The results indicate that most are operating at a very basic level of English and maths,’ said Mr Cregeen.

’This is consistent with offenders in neighbouring jurisdictions.’

Prison chiefs are planning a programme to teach English and maths on the wings, rather than solely in the classroom, in a bid to boost the number of participants.

At the time of the Tynwald answer, some inmates were awaiting the results of their maths GCSE, while others are due to sit their English GCSE exam in November.

exam

Meanwhile 12 prisoners have passed their exam this year in the International Qualification in Computing.

The prison has also submitted 40 entries for the Koestler Awards, where the offenders can create a piece of art work or write a poem or short story.

Education in the prison is run by UCM, using teachers from the college.

Subjects currently on offer include art, careers/employability, cookery, craft, creative writing, crochet, driving theory, English (basic functional skills/GCSE/A-level), IT (City & Guilds), maths (basic functional skills, GCSE/A-level), Pilates, psychology and yoga.

There are currently two prisoners who are allowed out on day release to attend college and prisoners are encouraged to apply to UCM upon discharge.

If funding is found for the workshops, it is planned to run vocational courses at the prison including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating and brickwork.

The young offenders programme about to launch will see all inmates aged 18-24 attend lessons in maths, English, cookery, IT, careers, employability skills, first aid and craft.

The prison also offers ’enrichment’ classes in subjects ranging from art to mindfulness, while the prison runs a Bake Off-style contest with prizes.

Prison chiefs are planning to improve the education on offer to inmates.

An application for Lottery Trust funding has been submitted to cover the cost of refurbishing construction workshops, while a number of staff are working to boost their own qualifications to assess the work of prisoners in the gym, kitchen, cleaning and horticulture.

On top of that, a new education programme for young offenders is due to be launched in the prison at Jurby.

Home Affairs Minister Graham Cregeen said the coronavirus lockdown earlier this year had given an opportunity to rebalance the education programme.

He said: ’Prison authorities have recently used the lockdown period to start with a blank canvas and introduce new regimes so that nothing clashes with education and offenders are either in work, education or on the wing in their cell.’

As of July, 62% of the prison population - 54 out of 86 - attended some form of education class.

Mr Cregeen, responding to a written Tynwald question from Jason Moorhouse, said: ’Most offenders have been disengaged from education from an early age and have truanted or been excluded from school.

’It is recognised education is the key to help offenders turn their lives around and gain skills and attributes to help them develop and become positive members of our community.

’Statistics show time and time again that education is one of the biggest factors in reducing reoffending.’

The maximum class size is seven, allowing inmates to receive more one-to-one support.

Offenders are offered an optional assessment on their literacy and numeracy skills. So far, 23 prisoners have completed a new form of assessment, that matches that used by University College Isle of Man.

’The results indicate that most are operating at a very basic level of English and maths,’ said Mr Cregeen. ’This is consistent with offenders in neighbouring jurisdictions.’

Prison chiefs are planning a programme to teach English and maths on the wings, rather than solely in the classroom, in a bid to boost the number of participants.

At the time of the Tynwald answer, some inmates were awaiting the results of their maths GCSE, while others are due to sit their English GCSE exam in November.

Meanwhile 12 prisoners have passed their exam this year in the International Qualification in Computing.

The prison has also submitted 40 entries for the Koestler Awards, where the offenders can create a piece of art work or write a poem or short story.

Education in the prison is run by UCM, using teachers from the college.

Subjects currently on offer include art, careers/employability, cookery, craft, creative writing, crochet, driving theory, English (basic functional skills/GCSE/A-level), IT (City & Guilds), maths (basic functional skills, GCSE/A-level), Pilates, psychology and yoga.

There are currently two prisoners who are allowed out on day release to attend college and prisoners are encouraged to apply to UCM upon discharge.

If funding is found for the workshops, it is planned to run vocational courses at the prison including carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating and brickwork.

The young offenders programme about to launch will see all inmates aged 18-24 attend lessons in maths, English, cookery, IT, careers, employability skills, first aid and craft.

The prison also offers ’enrichment’ classes in subjects ranging from art to mindfulness, while the prison runs a Bake Off-style contest with prizes.