CODE | ACA3009 | ||||||||||||
TITLE | Prison Education and Reintegration | ||||||||||||
UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
DEPARTMENT | Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education | ||||||||||||
DESCRIPTION | The study-unit covers 7 main topics: 1. A justification for adult education and training in prison: This introductory part to the study-unit overviews three main justifications for education in prison: education as a human right, education in prison as promoted by the Council of Europe, including Resolution R(89) 12 Education in Prison and the European Prison Rules, and education for rehabilitation including education and training for employability. Issues with difficulties for the employability of inmates during incarceration and following incarceration will be discussed. 2. The Prison Context: All education takes place within a context. The prison environment is one that is dominated by a preoccupation for security of the general public, the officers and the inmates themselves. In this section, emphasis will be made on prison regulations, particularly those sections that deal with security and with education. 3. The Prisoner as a Student: In this section different characteristics of the prison inmate are discussed in order to dispel certain preconceptions one may have of the prison inmate. The emphasis will be on how to be an effective educator when working with prison inmates. 4. Education in Prison: This section focuses on formal education in prison, particularly as a ‘second chance school’ where inmates can read for certification in different subjects. Non-formal education is the main form of education in prison, and examples of good practice will be critically reviewed in order to capture the strengths and weaknesses of such programmes. This section will also discuss the kinds of educational services often provided to inmates from outside the prison, including the University of Malta, MCAST, ITS and Jobs+. Distance learning as a means of education provision will also be discussed. Sport as an education activity will be included as an example of non-formal education and training. The final part of this topic will deal with vocational education in prison, including the idea of embedded learning, and learning through doing. 5. Motivating the inmate: One of the major challenges in education in prison is in motivating the inmate. Various theories of motivation of inmates will be explored and issues that keep inmates away from education will be analyzed. Within this section effective communication with inmates both during educational activities, and also during outreach activities will be discussed. The inclusion of education in the sentence plan and the consideration of the recognition of participation in education for parole will also be examined. 6. Quality assurance in the provision of education in prison: The issue of quality education will be discussed in this part of the course, including the different models of teacher engagement as well as education responsibilities and standards in education in prison. Teacher preparation for teaching in a prison environment will be discussed throughout this topic. 7. Catering for prison diversity: In Malta nearly half the inmates come from 27 different countries. Most inmates are male (90%) and within a particular age bracket. Other inmates are young, housed in the juvenile prison, mostly serving a short sentence; while other inmates have much longer sentences, including life sentences. This final section of this study unit explores different forms of education for different needs and ages, including gender-specific needs. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit is intended to provide students with: - knowledge and understanding of the role of formal, non-formal and informal education in a prison environment; - knowledge and understanding of vocational education and training in a prison environment; - practical knowledge in teaching in a prison environment; - an understanding of the social fabric of a prison; - respect for individual learners and divers learning communities within the prison; - skills that promote participation in education in prison; - exposure to evidence-informed approaches to the provision of education at the prison; - exposure to the wider context in which education in prison operates, and its implication to the world of employment and training; and - reflections on the importance education plays in the rehabilitation and reintegration of the prison inmate back to society. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Discuss regulation of education in prison, with references to the Council of Europe Education in Prison, the European Prison Rules and the Maltese Prison Regulations; 2) Identify issues that deal with security in the prison; 3) Examine possibilities and limitations of working within a prison environment; and 4) Identify network with different units within the prison and outside institutions that can support adult education and training opportunities for inmates; 5) List ethical issues related to working with prison inmates; and 6) Discuss formal, informal and non-formal education, vocational and sport education as a means to rehabilitation and reintegration; and as an end in themselves. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Act responsibly in a prison environment; 2) Evaluate the educational needs of different groups of inmates in a prison (male, female, youths, young, middle age, older inmates, etc.); 3) Relate with different adult learners in a prison context; 4) Plan an educational programme for a prison and reintegration context; 5) Integrate education within the inmate's Care Plan; and 6) Evaluate an education programme at prison, as well as the inmate's progress; Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Biao, I. (Ed.). (2018). Strategic learning ideologies in prison education programs. IGI Global. - Cleere, G. (2020). Prison Education and Desistance: Changing Perspectives. Routledge. - Costelloe, A., & Warner, K. J. (2014). Prison education across Europe: Policy, practice, politics. London Review of Education. Supplementary Readings: - Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (89) 12 Of The Committee of Ministers to Member States On Education in Prison (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 13 October 1989 at the 429th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies). Available at: https://www.epea.org/portfolio/council-of-europe-17-recommendations/ (Open access). - Esperian, J. H. (2010). The effect of prison education programs on recidivism. Journal of Correctional Education, 316-334. - Hughes, E. (2016). Education in prison: Studying through distance learning. Routledge. - Szifris, K., Fox, C., & Bradbury, A. (2018). A Realist Model of Prison Education, Growth, and Desistance: A New Theory. Journal of Prison Education and Reentry, 5(1), 41-62. - Warner, K. (2003). Re-evaluating the Council of Europe work on" Education in Prison': a report from the 4th European Conference of Directors and Co-ordinators of Prison Education, Malta, November 2000. Penological Information Bulletin, (25). |
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STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||||||
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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LECTURER/S | Maria M. Brown (Co-ord.) Joseph Giordmaina |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |