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A 25% national reduction in Core Education across prisons, revealed by the Government in its response to a Justice Committee report, ‘risks jeopardising’ rehabilitation efforts, MPs have warned.

• Read the response
• Read the response (PDF)
• Report: Ending the cycle of reoffending - part one: rehabilitation in prisons
• Justice Committee

Conditions in youth custody settings are ‘deplorable’ and there appears to be no correlation between earlier release times and willingness to engage in work or education, the Committee said.

In its November report ‘Ending the cycle of reoffending - part one: rehabilitation in prisons’, the Committee said it was ‘alarmed’ by reports of real-term cuts to prison education budgets of up to 50 per cent and urged the Government to clarify the rationale of any planned budget reductions. 

It must publish a clear plan to improve both participation and quality in prison education, MPs added.

In its response published recently (Friday, 30 January) the Government said:

‘The national prison education budget has not been cut. However, the cost of delivering high-quality education has increased significantly in recent years. Although the budget has slightly increased in cash terms, it has not kept pace with these rising costs. This has meant in (sic) some prisons are facing a reduction in education delivery hours. 

“To ensure the service remains affordable and sustainable, we have had to make difficult decisions to focus the curriculum more effectively and are working closely with providers to maximise value for money. As a result, some reductions in the volume of Core Education delivered will be necessary from October 2025. We anticipate a national reduction of around 20–25%, subject to final analysis.’

Some prisons will experience greater reductions, while others will receive increases, it is understood.

Ministers’ rejection of a key recommendation relating to data transparency and accountability on prisoner time out of cell ‘risks deprioritising progress’ on rehabilitation, the Committee cautioned.   

Its report concluded prison overcrowding, staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure is having a ‘profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation’.

Chair comment

Chair of the Justice Committee and Labour MP Andy Slaughter MP recently said:

“The Government’s response to the Committee’s report on prison rehabilitation is both weak and disappointing. 

“It’s deeply concerning to hear Core Education provision is being reduced despite the Government’s own recognition of the positive impact that education has on reducing reoffending and the Committee’s recommendation to improve both participation and quality in prison education. Access to learning is crucial and any reduction risks jeopardising rehabilitation efforts. 

“As our report highlighted, youth custody settings are deplorable - something the Government has accepted. It is shameful that access to education for children has deteriorated as part of this wider decline. The Government must deliver on its commitment to publish its long-awaited update to the Neurodiversity Action Plan without further delay. It should include how they plan to systematically identify how many prisoners have neurodivergent needs, as well as how it aims to support them.

“It is welcome that our recommendations have been accepted relating to implementing a training programme for governors on contracting and procurement, and regarding publishing healthcare access and outcomes data.

“However, immediate and comprehensive action is needed to address overcrowding, staffing issues, decaying prison infrastructure and poor education provision. It cannot be right that capacity issues are leading to prisoners languishing for 22 hours a day in cells, amid a rising remand population and high reoffending rates.

“The Government needs to provide details on how it plans to implement the Earned Progression Model, where time served is increased more for poor conduct than is currently the case, but not reduced for engaging constructively in work, study or other rehabilitative activity. Without a clear direction for how purposeful activity will be a part of it, Ministers run the risk of creating an earned regression model instead.”

Further information

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