Does overcrowding mean that education provision is reduced?
It is the case that prison populations are higher than ever. There were 77,300 prisoners in England and Wales in September 2005. In prisons, education must be delivered in the context of all the services prisoners need. This includes factors such as security and population levels. Prisons have a duty to provide a safe environment for those imprisoned and working there. The new arrangements under the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) give the LSC and the Regional Offender Manager a co-commissioning role for educational services. Under this arrangement, the LSC can hold its learning providers to account if delivery is not in line with what has been commissioned.
