Education in “underserved” prison does not improve

Ofsted has found “insufficient progress” in education at an “underserved” prison which last year rated it as “inadequate” in four out of five areas.

HMP Bedford was the subject of an “urgent notice” last year when HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor found low attendance at training and education, a large violence and some of the “worst” cells I had ever seen.

In a review of the prison’s progress in September, the chief inspector found that new governor Sarah Bott has made “fragile” progress since taking charge seven months ago.

Ofsted said the prison has made “insufficient progress” in improving its attendance rates, providing a curriculum that adequately prepares prisoners for release or providing effective careers education and advice.

However, it had made “reasonable progress” in improving its English and maths provision after doubling the number of places available and increasing attainment.

HMP Bedford’s progress review report is the latest in a dismal series of findings on education in custody, with all five full inspections published last month branding the prisons “inadequate”.

On October 9, Taylor issued an “urgent notice” about HMP Manchester, a training prison that provides “very poor” education, training and work.

‘Unenthusiastic and uninterested‘

Last year, the inspectors found that teaching spaces were not being maximized, and classes were left vacant.

Vocational apprenticeship was a “rotating set of short courses” such as barbering, decking and warehousing, which failed to provide prisoners with substantial knowledge or skills.

There was no opportunity for qualifications in these areas, higher level courses or other courses that supported prisoners’ career choices.

Prisoners were ‘unenthusiastic and uninterested’ in a recently introduced vocational storage programme.

Although the payment rates for education were higher than all other prison activities, only half of the prisoners showed up for the sessions and the leaders canceled the classes, although the assistance was better at work and at training industries.

Those who worked in the prison, such as wing cleaners, did not have access to machinery to help them acquire “high-level industrial skills”, leading to poor standards and “compromised hygiene”.

Revised curriculum

In the review, inspectors said more than half of the “proposed activity” spaces available to prisoners were still not an “appropriate curriculum” as they were wing jobs rather than education or training.

However, the skills curriculum had been revised to suit inmate interests and local skills needs, including new courses in basic construction, warehousing and manufacturing.

Attendance rates were also “still not high enough”, with more than a fifth of prisoners enrolled in education not attending regularly.

‘Better citizens, not better criminals‘

PeoplePlus Group, which provides educational services at Bedford Prison, did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for the prison service, an agency of the Ministry of Justice, said: “The report rightly notes improvements at Bedford, including a reduction in levels of self-harm and the refurbishment of accommodation.

“The high rate of violence and poor living conditions is why this government took immediate action to end the overcrowding crisis surrounding our prisons, to ensure that prisons create better citizens, not better criminals”.

HMIP Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor said: “It was clear that the new governor and deputy governor were taking the concerns raised at the last inspection seriously, but they recognized that there was still a lot to do.

“Progress was fragile and they will require extensive ongoing support from HMPPS to make the sustainable improvements the prison needs.”

‘Little to occupy’

Lack of purposeful activity is a widespread problem in prisons, with more than two-thirds spending most of their days in cells with “little to occupy them”, according to HMI Prisons.

A survey of 5,000 prisoners between 2023 and 2024 reported that a quarter had less than two hours outside their cell on a typical weekday and 44% had less than six hours open, leaving limited time for ‘education and training.

This appears to be due to overcrowding, understaffing and underfunded education services.