INVEST IN PRISONER EDUCATION TO CUT RE-OFFENDING

1.57.13pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 22nd Mar 2005

The Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly, today backed David Rendel MP's call to support more prisoner education.

Mr Rendel intervened in the House of Commons today to argue that prisoner education and skills training would bring down crime.

The Director General of HM Prison Service has said that investment in education could reduce re-offending by 10-14%.

Commenting, Mr Rendel said:

"The swingeing cuts to prisoner education introduced by the Tories were part of the reason why violent crime increased by 168% during their time in office.

"I am delighted that the Secretary of State agreed with me that prison education is very important if we are to cut crime. Her promise to publish a Green Paper in the near future is very welcome.

"I hope that this means that the Tory cuts will at last be reversed."

ENDS

NOTES:

1) In 2002, the Public Accounts Committee heard evidence that education can reduce re-offending by 10-14% annually. This came from the Director General of HM Prison Service (Martin Narey) in response to questions from David Rendel MP. The subsequent report of the PAC observed: "The Prison Service said that the single action most likely to impact on reoffending was investment in education to enable prisoners to obtain jobs on release."

2) Violent crime rose every year from 1979 to 1997 (the Tory years), from 129,285 recorded crimes in 1979 to 347,064 violent crimes in 1997 - a 168% rise.