Prisoners’ Education Trust provides, supports and argues the case for educational opportunities for prisoners. Initially provision focused on access to distance learning as a convenient way for students to study in prison, but our work has expanded beyond the Access to Learning programme to meet a range of learner needs. We have now developed other important programme areas including:

-         an advocacy programme, Learning Matters, promoting the importance of education to key stakeholders and enabling prisoner learners to have a voice.

-         a peer mentoring project providing prisoners with a qualification to build employment potential, and helping to create a learning culture in prisons. 

-         a resettlement project providing soon-to-be-released prisoners with a small bursary and mentoring support in the first six months after release.

Our vision is that every prisoner has the opportunity to benefit from education. Education has the power to transform people and enable them to make different choices to those which may have defined their lives previously. Learning and progression in learning are crucial elements in the process of change which leads offenders away from further crime. It forms an important part of the pathway to resettlement and possible employability. As one prisoner told us;

‘For the past few years I have felt hopeless in regards to my future plans, but I know that starting this course will renew my self esteem and make me look forward to returning home and getting my life together. I cannot explain how important this is to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’