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Description |
| The Government’s Strategy for reducing re-offending |
The three main priorities for the Government’s plan to reduce re-offending are:
- Engaging employers through the Reducing Re-offending Corporate Alliance linked to the Skills strategy and the outcome of the Leitch Review of Skills and other reports.
- Building on the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service
- Reinforcing the emphasis on skills and jobs as part of the resettlement process
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| The seven pathways to reducing re-offending |
Research shows that re-offending can be reduced by helping offenders to deal with factors such as homelessness, drug addiction and unemployment. NOMS seeks to reduce re-offending by creating opportunities and providing services to offenders through what it calls the seven pathways, which cover these factors. |
| The education, training and employment pathway |
Lack of employment is one of the major factors associated with re-offending. There is a strong correlation between offending, poor literacy, language and numeracy skills, and low achievement and truancy at school. Many offenders have very poor experience of education and no experience of stable employment. Developing an effective learning and skills service is central to the success of this pathway. |
| The Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) in England |
The development of a new Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) began in January 2004. After regional trials the Service was rolled out across all nine English regions on 31 July 2006. Better assessment and planning; a broader, richer curriculum offer and the availability of accurate and up-to-date data should underpin OLASS. It will be supported by alliances of interested parties at regional level and subject to strengthened and refocused external inspection arrangements through Ofsted. |
| The place of education and training in sentence planning |
At the centre of the OLASS process is an early detailed assessment of an offender’s learning needs and the development of an individual learning plan. There is an explicit intention to ‘join up’ delivery arrangements so that learning started in one setting can continue in another as the offender moves through the criminal justice system and out into mainstream learning in the community. |
| The OLASS philosophy underpinning learning opportunities in prison |
The introduction of OLASS seeks to ensure that a comprehensive learning service is provided for offenders. The publication called the Offender’s Learning Journey describes this offer by providing a detailed specification of the elements the learning provider is expected to deliver, which should be personalised to the individual’s needs. |
| The range of learning opportunities offered in prisons |
A major focus of OLASS is to develop basic and work related skills, which forms the main focus for the bulk of LSC funding of education in prisons. However, important provision for developing wider a range of social and personal skills can be made through other sources of funding available to the prison and delivered by other departments, such as Chaplaincy or external support agencies. |
| Every Child Matters (ECM) and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) |
The Every Child Matters initiative seeks to bring coherence to the providers of education and health and welfare providers who are responsible for supporting the development of children and young people. Consequently, Young Offenders Institutions fall within the scope of the ECM requirements. |
| Support available for prisoners returning to the community |
There are a number of organisations that offer advice and support for people leaving prison. Collectively they cover all of the seven pathways and include organisations that are involved with education and training support. The faith dimension is also covered by the recent development of community chaplaincies. |