Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment
Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment
Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment
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term economic benefits – such as in terms of reducing reimprisonment rates.<br />
Moreover, other rehabilitative programmes are fully funded <strong>and</strong> do not have to<br />
operate along commercial lines.<br />
Third, that opportunities to work must be sustained across time for prisoners.<br />
There is a distinction between having work programmes on paper <strong>and</strong><br />
operations in practice. At times, when prisons face stress in prisoner numbers<br />
or staff shortages, workshops <strong>and</strong> training opportunities may well be<br />
downgraded due to logistical difficulties. Similarly, if prisons pursue a<br />
dominant ethos of risk-aversion, valuable working opportunities could well be<br />
undermined. This could lead to what Keve (1974:30) called the „soft pretense<br />
of work‟.<br />
Fourth, although it is acknowledged that a significant number of prisoners lack<br />
literacy or numeracy skills <strong>and</strong> that this inhibits their involvement in certain<br />
employment routes, the Department might still increase opportunities for<br />
prisoners to pursue more high-tech, information-based programmes. There is<br />
more scope, for instance, for further IT-based training <strong>and</strong> employment<br />
opportunities.<br />
Fifth, in line with the Department‟s recognition of meeting the needs of certain<br />
prisoners, training <strong>and</strong> employment strategies that attend to the specific needs<br />
of women prisoners should be developed.<br />
Sixth, that while work can be viewed as beneficial for prisoners, <strong>and</strong> society,<br />
the Department must be mindful of the potential of work to be experienced as<br />
exploitation or abuse (Reilly, 2009). It also appears that many prisoners<br />
struggle to pay for their weekly requirements – phone cards, cigarettes, <strong>and</strong><br />
so on – out of their wages. Given these circumstances, the nature of payment<br />
for prison work is worthy of further examination. Similarly, further research on<br />
the perceptions <strong>and</strong> experiences, of prisoners <strong>and</strong> staff, towards work <strong>and</strong> pay<br />
practices would be welcome.<br />
5.4 Education<br />
Law <strong>and</strong> policy framework<br />
Under s78 of the Corrections Act, prisoners are entitled to reasonable access<br />
to news, to access library services, <strong>and</strong> to access further education that will<br />
assist their rehabilitation, a reduction in their reoffending or community<br />
reintegration. Prisoners may receive free education when (i) they have an<br />
entitlement (eg under the Education Act 1989) or (ii) screening indicates low<br />
literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy skills. Prisoners may also be able to work towards<br />
trade qualifications through classroom-based theory <strong>and</strong>/or on-job training.<br />
Department of Corrections policies regarding Youth Offender Units also<br />
stipulate that all prisoners under the age of 16 must receive 20 hours of<br />
education per week, <strong>and</strong> that all prisoners in Youth Offender Units who are<br />
over the age of 16 should receive a minimum of 10 hours of education per<br />
week. Education in Youth Offender Units includes: National Certificate of<br />
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