Too many prisoners enter into custody with significant gaps in their education and low levels of literacy and numeracy. Improving prisoners' functional skills is a key priority for both HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice as strong foundational skills are vital for rehabilitation.

HMPPS has introduced whole-prison strategies to strengthen literacy and numeracy, and this is supported by Heads of Education, Skills and Work who bring expertise of education into prisons. Participation in English and maths functional skills has increased across public prisons and the number of prisoners achieving a full or partial grade in functional skills courses increased by 21% in the year to 31 March 2024.

Improving literacy education, including reading, is a priority for His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). HMPPS has established a panel of experts to provide advice on effective approaches for teaching reading in prisons. This expert panel includes representatives from the Department for Education with whom we work closely to ensure that prison education is well-aligned with community education.

HMPPS has also worked to improve literacy rates for prisoners through core literacy education and whole prison reading strategies. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills across public prisons in England, and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full grade in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23. Heads of Education, Skills and Work are now in every prison, bringing expertise from the education sector directly to prison education. New core contracts will be launched later this year which will deliver enhanced screening and assessment in English, reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as screening for additional learning needs. HMPPS is piloting two reading and literacy projects across 15 prisons to test approaches to reading and literacy. Reading screening has been introduced to identify prisoners reading support levels, enabling the development of prison reading strategies and effective commissioning through the Core Education Contracts.

All prison officers undergo training in their roles and responsibilities with supporting education, including literacy education and reading. At the launch of the National Reading Framework, HMPPS provided dedicated training to key HMPPS staff. The National Reading Framework provides guidance for prisons to develop and assess the impact of tailored reading support for prisoners as well as promoting a culture where prisoners are encouraged to read for pleasure.

All prisons are legally required to offer a library service, and all prisoners are regularly able to access appropriately stocked libraries that support them in their learning and personal development.

HMPPS has recently issued best practice guidance to all prisons across England to ensure the quality of library services can be maximised regardless of a prison’s cohort, function or available resource.

In Wales, we have well-established library services across the Welsh estate with several satellite library services for extra accessibility in prison residential areas, and the national reading strategy is in progress.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and every prison now has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign. We also engage with experts as part of a National Reading Group which advises on improvement work that includes better initial assessments of prisoners’ reading ability.

In addition, prisons in England and Wales frequently work with voluntary and community sector providers who provide reading support delivered by peer mentors as well as workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.

We are evaluating some of the programmes to support literacy delivered by partners and will look to publish an evaluation report later in 2025. We are also improving our understanding of the outcomes of different prison education types, including English courses, through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.

As part of BOLD, there is existing funding to conduct research to explore the relationship between prison education and post-release employment outcomes with findings expected to be published in 2025. All this learning will continue to support our evolving understanding of what more we can do to improve literacy in prisons.

The success of formal literacy education is primarily measured by prisoners ‘achieving’ and getting an accredited qualification; we regularly use this data to ensure good performance. Latest published data (for 2023/24) shows a 5% increase in participation in English functional skills and a 21% increase in prisoner learners who achieved a full in English functional skills, compared to 2022/23.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.

Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.

All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.

In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.

Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.

All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.

In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

All prisons assess prisoner literacy on entry, and deliver English Functional Skills qualifications via the main Prison Education Framework.

HMPPS also fund 62 additional literacy and reading contracts across 80 prisons via the more locally commissioned Dynamic Purchasing System.

All prisons have a library, and to further support reading the Shannon Trust operates their Turning Pages programme in nearly all prisons in England. This programme teaches prisoners to read and is delivered by prisoner mentors who work with individual learners.

Every prison also has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign.

In addition, the Literacy Innovation Fund provided funding to a further 15 prisons for projects delivered by the Shannon Trust, to further boost the reach of their peer mentoring and the National Literacy Trust who deliver workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.

All prisons assess prisoner literacy on entry, and deliver English Functional Skills qualifications via the main Prison Education Framework.

HMPPS also fund 62 additional literacy and reading contracts across 80 prisons via the more locally commissioned Dynamic Purchasing System.

All prisons have a library, and to further support reading the Shannon Trust operates their Turning Pages programme in nearly all prisons in England. This programme teaches prisoners to read and is delivered by prisoner mentors who work with individual learners.

Every prison also has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign.

In addition, the Literacy Innovation Fund provided funding to a further 15 prisons for projects delivered by the Shannon Trust, to further boost the reach of their peer mentoring and the National Literacy Trust who deliver workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.

The literacy and numeracy skills of all prisoners are assessed on entry to custody. Data on education participation in prison are published annually as official statistics in the Prison Education Statistics and Accredited Programmes in Custody publication. In 2022-23, prisoners took a total of 58,907 English initial assessments. 65 per cent of those prisoners in 2022-23 were at Entry Levels 1-3 in English (i.e., below the lowest GCSE grade).

All prisons now have a reading strategy, and we have published a national Reading Framework to support prisons in maintaining their strategy. HMPPS has introduced a Literacy Innovation Fund, to pilot two specialist reading and literacy projects across fifteen prisons, to offer education to prisoners at the lowest reading level. Literacy provision is a significant element of the core education offer, with all prisons offering functional skills qualifications in Literacy from Entry Level to Level 2.

All prisons are required to have a library and prisoners are routinely offered a minimum of 30 minutes library access a week. We do not currently collect data on prisoner attendance and engagement with the library.

All prisons also offer literacy education as part of their core curriculum. Most education services are outsourced to education specialists (for example Further Education Colleges) and supplemented by bespoke partnership arrangements with third sector organisations who support the teaching of reading. HMPPS are also working to embed literacy skills in workshops and vocational training.

Reliable data from 2005-19 is not available due to changes in the way education provision has been contracted and provided although, since 2019, all prisoners have been screened for literacy, numeracy and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) on entry. Prisons provide a range of support according to the needs of the individual and our main education providers are required to put in place provision for prisoners with additional learning needs such as dyslexia.

This table sets out the number of prisoners participating in English functional skills, taking English assessments and prisoners identified as likely to have LDD since 2019 under the current MoJ commissioned contracts. 2020-22 participation figures have been impacted by the reduction in classroom learning during the pandemic, but we are now building back to pre-pandemic levels of learning. Statistics for 2022-23 will be published later this year. Due to the dynamic nature of the prison population, it is also not possible to provide a percentage proportion of prisoners participating.

[1] Levels of learning during April 2020-March 2022 were greatly impacted by the reduction in classroom learning necessary for mitigating the health impacts of the Covid pandemic

All prisons are required to have a library and prisoners are routinely offered a minimum of 30 minutes library access a week. We do not currently collect data on prisoner attendance and engagement with the library.

All prisons also offer literacy education as part of their core curriculum. Most education services are outsourced to education specialists (for example Further Education Colleges) and supplemented by bespoke partnership arrangements with third sector organisations who support the teaching of reading. HMPPS are also working to embed literacy skills in workshops and vocational training.

Reliable data from 2005-19 is not available due to changes in the way education provision has been contracted and provided although, since 2019, all prisoners have been screened for literacy, numeracy and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) on entry. Prisons provide a range of support according to the needs of the individual and our main education providers are required to put in place provision for prisoners with additional learning needs such as dyslexia.

This table sets out the number of prisoners participating in English functional skills, taking English assessments and prisoners identified as likely to have LDD since 2019 under the current MoJ commissioned contracts. 2020-22 participation figures have been impacted by the reduction in classroom learning during the pandemic, but we are now building back to pre-pandemic levels of learning. Statistics for 2022-23 will be published later this year. Due to the dynamic nature of the prison population, it is also not possible to provide a percentage proportion of prisoners participating.

[1] Levels of learning during April 2020-March 2022 were greatly impacted by the reduction in classroom learning necessary for mitigating the health impacts of the Covid pandemic

My hon. Friend is dead right: literacy is fundamental, including, of course, to access those other parts of education. I welcome the work of organisations such as the Shannon Trust and I welcome the recent Ofsted report. We are sharpening our focus, creating a literacy innovation fund.

There are direct links between education and reducing reoffending. Education is a factor in promoting reintegration and rehabilitation. While there is rightly a focus in prison on education for employment, too many prisoners have very poor literacy skills, which impacts their ability to access education. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to improve literacy in the prison population?

We are working to deliver a Prisoner Education Service that equips prisoners with the numeracy, literacy, and skills they need to get jobs after they leave custody.

Since we introduced more consistent initial assessments in 2019, data has been relatively stable and indicates that many prisoners arrive with low levels of literacy. Our latest published data shows that, from April 2021 to March 2022, 61% of English initial assessment outcomes were at the entry levels 1-3 (equivalent to primary school). Data for 2022 will be published next year.

Improving functional skills is a significant element of education provision and we set ambitious targets for education providers regarding learners successfully obtaining qualifications.

We have also made progress on actions following Ofsted and HM Inspectorate of Prisons recent review of reading in prisons, including ensuring appropriate functional skills qualifications are delivered, increasing the scrutiny of library provision and piloting reading assessment tools.

To improve support for prisoners with additional learning needs we have started to recruit new support managers for prisoners with conditions such as learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury or ADHD and we are trialling the use of new reading assessment tools.

We are also trailing new approaches to encourage literacy including embedding literacy in workshops and vocational training as well as in football coaching via the Twinning project.

The Prisons Strategy White Paper sets out the government’s ambition to equip all prisoners with the literacy and numeracy skills they need to get jobs on release. To support this, HMPPS has introduced new performance measures for English and maths, and we are holding Governors and providers to account for progress.

The delivery of face-to-face education was constrained by the pandemic but the numbers of enrolments on literacy and numeracy courses are now back up to, and in some cases exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The joint report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted on Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons highlighted the need to improve literacy education in prisons. To address its recommendations, we are reviewing the current mechanisms for assessing and recording the levels of prisoners’ reading, improving the curriculum guidance given to governors to ensure they prioritise the teaching of reading, and reviewing teacher capability to ensure that all providers have staff who are properly qualified to teach reading.

To improve support for prisoners with additional learning needs we have started to recruit new support managers for prisoners with conditions such as learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury or ADHD

We are also planning to develop a Literacy Innovation Scheme to encourage new providers to work with us to trial new approaches to teaching reading with the aim of driving up quality and improving outcomes across the estate.

The Prisons Strategy White Paper sets out the government’s ambition to equip all prisoners with the literacy skills they need to get jobs on release. To support this, HMPPS has introduced new performance measures for English and maths and we are holding Governors to account for improving the teaching of reading in their prisons.

The joint report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted on Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons highlighted the need to improve literacy education in prisons. To address its recommendations, we will review the current mechanisms for assessing and recording the levels of prisoners’ reading; improve the curriculum guidance given to governors to ensure they prioritise the teaching of reading and review teacher capability to ensure that all providers have staff who are properly qualified to teach reading.

We are also planning to develop a Literacy Innovation Scheme to encourage new providers to work with us to trial new approaches to teaching reading with the aim of driving up quality and improving outcomes across the estate.

What steps his Department is taking to improve literacy among prisoners.

My right hon. Friend is completely right. We are putting in place a new deal for governors based on clear expectations and accountability, giving them greater autonomy over education provision in their establishments, which includes transparent key performance indicators, outcome measures and targets, including on prisoner literacy. Indeed, in Highpoint Prison in his constituency, there is a prisoner who was completely illiterate on entering prison. He had the ambition to read to his young child and is now three chapters into a book. With that sort of personal determination and encouragement from the Prison Service, we have high hopes for the chances of prisoners when they leave prison and keeping our communities safer.