Education and training helps prisoners get their life back on track

15 October 2007

Prisoners who participate in vocational education and training (VET) courses significantly improve their employment prospects and are also less likely to re-offend.

A new book, Vocational education and training for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia: Research readings, edited by Susan Dawe and published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, investigates the role of VET in rehabilitating adult prisoners and offenders.

"The research shows that VET courses that are linked to mainstream employment are most successful at helping prisoners and offenders make the transition from prison to the community," says Tom Karmel, Managing Director of NCVER.

"Adult prisoners and offenders typically have poor literacy skills, low levels of education and a history of unemployment," says Karmel.

"VET courses address these issues but are not enough. Education and training needs to be linked to jobs for prisoners when they are released," he says.

While all states and territories now have registered training organisations providing VET courses inside their correctional centres, only a small percentage of prisoners participate in them.

This book comprises five chapters on international and Australian research on adult prisoners and offenders, and six chapters on improving the delivery of VET for prisoners and offenders in Australia.

ENDS

Vocational education and training for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia: Research readings, edited by Susan Dawe, is produced by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments with funding provided through the Department of Education, Science and Training. Copies can be accessed from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1789.html.

Media enquiries to: Anna Payton, Marketing Officer, or Colleen Young, Manager, Marketing Services on +61 8 8230 8400.

Vocational education and training for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia: Research readings

Chapter list

Introduction Susan Dawe

What the research says:

International research and trends in education and training provision in correctional settings
Raymond Chavez and Susan Dawe

The role of VET in recidivism in Australia
Victor Callan and John Gardner

Ex-prisoners and ex-offenders and the employment connection: Assistance plus acceptance
Joe Graffam and Lesley Hardcastle

The role of education and training in prison to work transitions
Margaret Giles, Anh Tram Le, Maria Allan, Catherine Lees, Ann-Claire Larsen and Lyn Bennett

Should education and vocational training be compulsory in corrections?
Peter de Graaff

Improving VET for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia:

The provision of VET for adult prisoners in Australia
Sian Halliday Wynes

Using research to inform practice: Western Australian correctional education
Christine Laird, Raymond Chavez and Melanie Zan

Throughcare and VET for adult prisoners and offenders within the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services
Karen Banfield, Steve Barlow and David Gould

Improving VET for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia
Sian Halliday Wynes

Improving literacy for adult prisoners and offenders
Bernard Meatheringham, Pamela Snow, Martine Powell and Michael Fewster

Education and training for Indigenous people in prisons
Cydde Miller