Creating Cultures of Acceptance: Expanding the role of the university in the provision of education in prisons in England and Wales

Higher Education is a powerful tool to support people in prison to turn their lives around. It can provide hope, aspiration, a plan for the future and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. Despite this, educational opportunities in prison are very limited with few options for people in prison to study at higher levels. Currently, less than 2% of the 80,000 people in prison in England and Wales are studying for a degree yet the demand for these opportunities is high.

This paper introduces an ambitious project at the University of Westminster, in partnership with the organisation DWRM, to adapt a range of our courses to make them accessible to students in prison across England and Wales. At the end of the first two years of delivery, this work has introduced 6 introductory modules to prison-based students across many prison institutions and is aiming to grow to offer full degrees. Our mission is to use the cultural power of the university to create cultures of acceptance within prison and for people with lived experience of prison.

This partnership project has evolved through close working with DWRM consultants. DWRM bring a significant range of expertise to the work, centralising the lived experience of prison education through co-director Dan Whyte. Dan’s experiences of studying whilst in prison has embedded student experience at the heart of the project, which the workshop will reflect upon.