Lots of good points in this, particularly "it’s difficult to persuade prisoners that you care about them when you keep them in squalor". The same applies to education in prisons. It's hard to argue it's a priority if the classrooms are leaky, mouldy and generally run down.

The Welsh Affairs Committee has joined the broad range of voices calling for cuts to prison education in English prisons to be reversed. We gave evidence to this inquiry and it’s good to see our key points echoed in the report. committees.parliament.uk/committee/16...

This is a good assessment of the many challenges facing youth custody, including in providing high quality education to young people who've had very disrupted experiences of school. (And I'm always amazed by the fact that 20% of young people in secure settings went to the same six schools.)

Good to see that education at Downview has been rated 'good' by Ofsted, in a broadly positive report. This follows a positive report a couple of months ago on Low Newton and an encouraging update from HMIP on the women's estate generally (bit.ly/4dQgXJi).

If more access to positive activities in prison will reduce drug use, then why cut education provision by 25%? insidetime.org/newsround/mo...

Really encouraging @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social report on HMP Wayland today. They've gone from 'poor' to 'reasonably good' on purposeful activity, which is impressive progress, and been rated as 'good' overall by Ofsted. hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

I love this series of profiles of independent landlords in London by @andrewkersley.bsky.social and @petercarlyon.bsky.social for @londonermag.bsky.social. It's just nice to have some positive news at the moment! www.the-londoner.co.uk/londons-youn...

In this interview focused on a visit to HMP Styal, the prisons minister Lord Timpson rightly notes that education helps people get a job. But education at Styal has just been cut by 30%. Given the cost of reoffending this is the very definition of a false economy. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

📋 Eight prisons in the West Midlands have finally been appointed an education supplier after an initial failed procurement process. https://feweek.co.uk/novus-selected-again-to-deliver-west-midlands-prison-education/

Congratulations (belatedly) to Dr Leonie Smith and Dr @jonbebb.bsky.social on winning the @thebpa.bsky.social's inaugural prize for 'Teaching Philosophy in the Community' for their work teaching philosophy in prison. It's good to see this sort of work being recognised. bpa.ac.uk/prizes2026/

Well done to HMP Portland for getting 'good' from Ofsted for their education provision in today's @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social report. As the report notes, this is "a creditable outcome when compared to almost all other closed prisons for men". hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

Depressing but unsurprising to see this in today's @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social report on HMP Manchester. Prisons are having to adapt to big cuts in provision and it'd be impossible to absorb a 54% cut without it having a significant impact. hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

Concerning analysis from Inside Time, looking at the impact of cuts to prison education provision on the women's estate. insidetime.org/newsround/ex...

Good to see @feweek.bsky.social's Anviksha Patel digging into the data on cuts to prison education provision published earlier this week. Last year, North Sea Camp had 92% attendance at education, the third highest of any prison. Now its education provision has been cut by 58%.

My colleague @themarkages.bsky.social has written this excellent explainer examining new data from the Ministry of Justice revealing 25% cuts to prison education provision. Prison education had been slowly improving. It's very hard to see how that'll be sustained in the face of these cuts.

This @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social report highlights some great practice but also too many people not getting regular access to exercise. Given how much time people in prison spend in their cells, this is really important to address. hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/news/too-few...

Concerning to see this in today's @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social review of progress at HMP Elmley. Prisons are working hard to make improvements but where provision has been cut under new contracts it'll make sustaining improvements much harder. hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

This is really sad and upsetting, but still very much worth reading.

It’s great to see University and College Union (UCU) publishing two reports exploring the experiences of prison teachers generally and prison teachers from minority ethnic groups specifically. We don’t know enough about prison teachers. This research helps to fill that gap. Read the reports here ⬇️

No registration fee *and* you get a very stylish bright orange t-shirt. And we come and cheer you on and wave tiny flags created by @frey-a.bsky.social!

When I worked at the Restorative Justice Council I was fortunate enough to meet Nick Dawson and hear about his experiences of restorative justice. This is well worth reading for anyone interested in why he took part in it and how he benefitted. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03...

Congratulations to @leedsbeckett.bsky.social, who have won a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education for their work in partnership with HMP Full Sutton. www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/news/2026/02...

More positive* news from @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social today on the women's estate, with real progress being made on some of the worst elements of last year's thematic. (* yes, it's not all great and there's still lots to be done but it's progress and there's not been too much of that recently.)

Most @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social reports make for depressing reading so worth noting today's positive one on Low Newton. 'Good' for education and nice to see that women are "motivated by teachers’ warm encouragement and positive feedback". hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

We’re looking for passionate people with lived experience of prison education to join our Alumni Advisory Group - to help shape our strategy, strengthen our policy work, and keep learners at the centre of everything we do. Find out how to join here: https://ow.ly/UkbN50YibZa

"What I saw during my session was inspirational. It was a reminder that books can be a gateway to a different life for all of us" Really positive reflections from poet and novelist @timrelf.bsky.social on a session he ran in a prison library.

Due to a focus on reading by the prison inspectorate and Ofsted, progress is being made on literacy in prisons. But new education contracts have now cut education provision across the board @jonbcollins.bsky.social @prisonersed.bsky.social

Our CEO, Jon Collins, has written for FE Week on why we should be building on the positive signs of progress in prison education, not cutting courses and making staff redundant. https://ow.ly/QL5G50Y8Klm

According to an article in the Guardian today, the @readingagency.bsky.social is planning to distribute half a million of their 'Quick Reads' books to prisons in the UK this year. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...

This article is a demonstration of the benefits of diverting young people away from from the justice system. Would anyone be any better off if Sajid Javid and his brother had been charged and funnelled into, rather than away from, the justice system? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

It's the UNESCO International Day of Education. In just a few words, Vanessa - who started a counselling course with PET last year - shows why education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.

Probably a good time to reshare 'Getting Connected', our recent @prisonersed.bsky.social briefing on digital learning in prisons. prisonerseducation.org.uk/2025/12/gett...

We always love getting postcards from learners letting us know how they're getting on with their course. Barry is taking his Bookkeeping Certificate with PET - the start of his journey to becoming a freelance accountant.

"We must properly fund prison education. Some institutions face cuts of up to 60% in their education provision. That’s not just short-sighted, it’s self-defeating." Very good article on the importance of literacy and prison education by @pauldaviesmp.bsky.social. politicsuk.com/literacy-beh...

Good to see the author Lee Child promoting the importance of literacy work in prisons, and the work he’s doing with the MP Paul Davies. www.thetimes.com/uk/get-brita...

Good to see this @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social follow-up report on reading in prisons. It's a really important issue where I think pressure from HMIP, Ofsted and others is beginning to make a difference. hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_repo...

I’m really looking forward to this new BBC1 TV drama on teaching philosophy in prison, based on Andy West’s brilliant book ‘The Life Inside’. insidetime.org/comment/wait...

Good to see the @i-m-b.bsky.social highlighting the impact that cuts to prison education budgets are having. Lots of really worrying examples in their letter, including cuts to vocational training and support for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities. imb.org.uk/news/concern...

This is a positive initiative by @pauldavieswxm.bsky.social and the author Lee Child to promote literacy in prisons. I also really like this quote from Lee Child, "Ideally, what we wanted to do was make everybody’s day a little bit easier in the prison world". www.theguardian.com/education/20...

This is a really good blog by my colleague @cassieedmiston.bsky.social on our new briefing on access to digital devices and the internet in prison, highlighting the progress made but also the ongoing digital divide between what's available in prison and in the community.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our Big Give #ChristmasChallenge - we've raised a record £46,819 so far! The appeal is open until midday tomorrow - every donation means more people in prison can gain qualifications and build towards a brighter future: https://bit.ly/PET-BigGive-2

We have reached our @biggive.bsky.social target!! A huge, huge thank you to the 115 people who have donated. We are very grateful for your support.

Like every other charity on Bluesky, we're taking part in the Big Give. So if you'd like to support PET's work now's the time as any donations between now and midday on Tuesday will be *DOUBLED*. bit.ly/PET-BigGive-3

It's always great to see positive coverage of work that prisons are doing, like this farm in East Sutton Park. One person said, for example, that "Farming, to me, is really special. I found it to be a brilliant escape from everything I've ever known". www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

No surprises here, sadly. YOIs are really, really struggling to provide a regime that gets young people out of their cells. It’s time for a complete reset of youth custody that puts education first, to give young people opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need to thrive as adults.

I really enjoyed this discussion with Charlie Taylor of @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social and Cathy McGuinness, even if the general tone was quite downbeat. Education in prison can make such a difference, which is why it's so important to get it right.

It’s always good to see more employers committed to employing prison leavers. But it’s also vital to get prison education working properly, so people in prison can get the skills and qualifications that employers need. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Predictably critical report out today from the Justice Select Committee on rehabilitation in prisons. But good to see the committee call for the government to "publish a clear plan to improve both participation and quality in prison education". committees.parliament.uk/committee/10...

If this happens, I think just one PCC - Tim Passmore in Suffolk - will have been in the role for the entire 16 year period it will have existed. Katy Bourne has also held the role in Sussex since 2012, but it's due to be abolished there when a new mayor is elected in 2027.

This is one of the saddest things I've read for a long time but it's also beautifully written and important. www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...