Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

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