Labour Committee 'Alarmed' by Education Cuts in Prisons
A parliamentary committee dominated by Labour MPs has voiced serious concerns about the Government's plans to implement significant cuts to education budgets within the prison system. The Commons' justice select committee, in a report published today, described receiving reports of real-term cuts reaching up to 50% in some institutions.
Manifesto Pledge Versus Budget Reality
This development comes despite Labour's election manifesto commitment to 'work with prisons to improve offenders' access to purposeful activity, such as learning'. The committee's criticism carries particular weight because its chairman, Andy Slaughter, and six of its ten other members are Labour MPs, indicating internal party disagreement over the policy.
The report stated clearly: 'We are alarmed by reports of significant real-term cuts to prison education budgets, with some prisons facing reductions of up to 50 per cent.' It further highlighted that prison education is already underfunded compared to community provision, and such cuts risk undermining efforts to reduce reoffending.
Overcrowding Crisis and Rehabilitation Failures
The document connects these education cuts to the broader prison overcrowding crisis, which has seen 38,000 criminals released early since last September under a scheme established by former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The committee found that the current situation is risking the ability to properly rehabilitate offenders.
Alarming statistics revealed that half of all prisoners are not participating in education or work while serving their sentences. The situation doesn't improve upon release, with two thirds of ex-offenders not in work or education six months after leaving prison.
Committee chairman Andy Slaughter commented: 'Prison rehabilitation and efforts to break the cycle of reoffending aren't working and cannot succeed in a system which is facing critical pressures on so many fronts.' He described an 'overcrowded, short-staffed, crumbling prison estate' where long-term rehabilitation focus is lost in day-to-day survival.
Calls for Government Action
The committee has demanded urgent government action, calling for:
- Immediate clarification of the scale and rationale behind planned cuts
- A clear plan ensuring all prisons retain necessary funding for core education
- Publication of impact assessments on prisoner outcomes and reoffending rates
- An equality impact assessment for the proposed cuts
Jon Collins, chief executive of Prisoners' Education Trust, supported the committee's findings, stating: 'This report highlights the dire state our prisons are in. The government needs to set out a clear, ambitious plan to fix prison regimes and provide consistent access to high-quality education and training.' He identified reversing the education budget cuts as the essential first step toward improvement.
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment regarding these significant concerns about prison education funding and its potential impact on rehabilitation success and public safety.
