Jon Collins
@jonbcollins.bsky.social
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📥 632
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Chief Executive of Prisoners’ Education Trust (
@prisonersed.bsky
.social) and criminal justice nerd.
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...
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‘It could be a shoe or a stick’: Sajid Javid on being beaten by his father, petty crime – and turning his life around
As a young teenager, Javid and his brother were caught stealing from slot machines, arrested and held in a cell. His future hung in the balance. How did he get from there to the top of UK politics?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/27/sajid-javid-on-being-beaten-by-father-and-turning-life-around
2 days ago
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reposted by
Jon Collins
Prisoners' Education Trust
5 days ago
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.
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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...
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6 days ago
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reposted by
Jon Collins
Prisoners' Education Trust
6 days ago
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.
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"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...
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Literacy Behind Bars: a Silent Crisis We Can’t Ignore - P...
More than half of people in UK prisons cannot read beyond primary-school level. Writing exclusively for Chamber UK, Paul Davies says that until we treat literacy as central to sentencing reform, rehab...
https://politicsuk.com/literacy-behind-bars-a-silent-crisis-we-cant-ignore/
8 days ago
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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...
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Lee Child: Books let me escape my dull, grey Sixties childhood
The Jack Reacher author, who is leading a drive to cut reoffending by raising literacy in jails, reveals the stories that gave him a world of adventure
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/get-britain-reading/article/lee-child-author-prison-literacy-interview-x6nb88890?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqe9aTKLQYHNK112K1VwsSSCDOdto3Lm13yNp_Y18TSTF_GkNxWxmuoTSXZmFmk%3D&gaa_ts=696cd39f&gaa_sig=BKRM2F6ecGEweXTZzdMt66wZGAKtTufh5p3e971wbD_mf1tf0zd_r7qYlOqkUQxfyiW6D6Mv6RsFjvTpdp3Xfw%3D%3D
11 days ago
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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...
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Reading for rehabilitation – HM Inspectorate of Prisons
https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_reports/reading-for-rehabilitation/
16 days ago
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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...
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Waiting for the Out: a prison drama that tackles life’s big questions
A new Saturday night prison drama on BBC1, called Waiting for the Out, focuses on Dan, who begins teaching Philosophy classes in a men’s jail. Each week he leads discussions about dominance, freedo…
https://insidetime.org/comment/waiting-for-the-out-a-prison-drama-that-tackles-lifes-big-questions/
26 days ago
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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...
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Concerns raised over cuts to real-term prison education budgets - Independent Monitoring Boards
Photo by Andy Aitchison Elisabeth Davies, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) National Chair, has today written to the Prisons Minister,
https://imb.org.uk/news/concerns-raised-over-cuts-to-real-term-prison-education-budgets/
30 days ago
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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...
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Thrillers should be on UK school curriculum to boost reading, says Lee Child
Bestselling author says focus on ‘masterpieces’ puts children off as he promotes prison literacy scheme
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/dec/19/lee-child-thrillers-uk-school-curriculum-literacy
about 1 month ago
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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.
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about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Jon Collins
Prisoners' Education Trust
about 2 months ago
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
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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.
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about 2 months ago
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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
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about 2 months ago
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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...
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Maidstone prison teaches inmates to run farm on site - BBC News
The farm holds cattle, sheep and pigs – some of which are named after prison officers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9547e537yo.amp
2 months ago
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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.
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2 months ago
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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.
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2 months ago
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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...
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Crime-cutting jobs plan sees hundreds of firms join hiring drive
Britain’s biggest businesses have joined the Government’s hiring drive to get prison leavers into work in effort to cut crime as part of the Plan for Change.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crime-cutting-jobs-plan-sees-hundreds-of-firms-join-hiring-drive?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=bb0b5e65-c40f-4ad6-beec-0cea80f35631&utm_content=immediately
2 months ago
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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...
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‘Dire’ prison conditions putting rehabilitation and reoffending reduction ‘at risk’, Justice Committee warns - Committees - UK Parliament
Prison overcrowding, staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure is having a ‘profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation’, a new report published today (No...
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/102/justice-committee/news/210443/dire-prison-conditions-putting-rehabilitation-and-reoffending-reduction-at-risk-justice-committee-warns/
3 months ago
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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.
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3 months ago
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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...
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When I met Craig he was 13 and homeless. I still thought his life might turn around. I was tragically wrong
The long read: I knew he was running away from something. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered the truth
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/nov/11/when-i-met-craig-he-was-13-and-homeless-i-still-thought-his-life-might-turn-around-i-was-tragically-wrong
3 months ago
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This is a typically forthright assessment of the state of the prison system - which he describes as “close to breaking point” - by Charlie Taylor of
@hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social
in the Telegraph. And good to see cuts to education budgets highlighted.
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
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Access Restricted
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/11/08/mistaken-releases-prisons-breaking-point-charlie-taylor/
3 months ago
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Well, this is bleak. Not wrong. But bleak.
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3 months ago
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Nice to read about something positive in the prison system - the work of
@libertychoiruk.bsky.social
!
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3 months ago
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Good to see this recommendation on increasing access to education and training in today’s Justice Select Committee report on drugs in prison.
committees.parliament.uk/committee/10...
3 months ago
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I'm looking forward to giving evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on prison education in Wales this afternoon, with
@stgilestrust.bsky.social
and Estyn . Lots to cover, including funding, breadth of provision and digital learning.
www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/2557747...
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MPs to examine education and employment opportunities for Welsh prisoners
MPs are set to examine education and employment opportunities for Welsh prisoners at a meeting in the Palace of Westminster.
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/25577476.mps-examine-education-employment-welsh-prisoners/
3 months ago
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reposted by
Jon Collins
HMI Prisons
4 months ago
With the publication of the ‘Just passing time’ thematic review, Chief Inspector, Charlie Taylor, outlines the problems with current work and training provision in adult prisons and his concerns that cuts will make things worse. Read the blog:
hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/news/what-do...
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reposted by
Jon Collins
Prisoners' Education Trust
4 months ago
Good luck to everyone running the
Royal Parks Half
today! We have six wonderful runners fundraising for PET. Here’s why Liv is choosing to run for us today. You can support her efforts here:
https://ow.ly/2gaw50X9egO
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This is a terrific article on pub closures, including looking at the Trafalgar near me in Colliers Wood. It’s so impressive what
@londonermag.bsky.social
, and
@jim.londoncentric.media
’s
@londoncentric.media
, are doing for London journalism.
www.the-londoner.co.uk/trafalgar-wi...
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They claim to save London pubs. So why have they shut so many down?
Linea Homes has been called the “grim reaper” of pubs. Their targets include some of Peckham, Wimbledon and Camden’s most iconic boozers.
https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/trafalgar-wimbledon-closure-linea-homes/
4 months ago
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I've had a look at the prison education statistics for last year and there's some good news in there, albeit very modest and from a low starting point. Hard to see how that will be sustained, though, with upcoming budget cuts about to hit provision that was already chronically underfunded.
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4 months ago
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Good to see
@feweek.bsky.social
covering the recent
@hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social
report on child custody. Young people are spending far too much time in their cell and not enough time in classrooms or doing other positive activities.
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4 months ago
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More than a third of children in custody spend less than two hours a day out of their cell during the week. More than half spend less than two hours a day out of their cell on weekends. Young people who've already been failed by the system are being failed again.
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4 months ago
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I’ve written an article for
@feweek.bsky.social
on why prison education matters and why budgets cuts are a mistake.
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4 months ago
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A huge, huge thank you to Richard Farrant, who's currently celebrating his 80th birthday by cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End and is raising money for
@prisonersed.bsky.social
. If you can contribute at all, I'm sure that'd help him on his way.
www.justgiving.com/page/richard...
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Richard's fundraiser for Prisoners' Education Trust
Help Richard Farrant raise money to support Prisoners' Education Trust
https://www.justgiving.com/page/richard-farrant
4 months ago
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Good to see the Law Society calling for more investment in prison education in their response to the Sentencing Bill.
www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-v...
4 months ago
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This is v.good by
@cassiarowland.bsky.social
on the Sentencing Bill, including the potential benefits of earned progression if it can be implemented properly if/when current pressures on the prison system subside.
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4 months ago
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Good article by
@shipleywrites.bsky.social
looking at cuts to prison education budgets.
www.spectator.co.uk/article/cutt...
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Cutting prison education is a calamity
Prisons across the country are slashing education funding. According to the Guardian, public money for prison education courses is being reduced by almost 50 per cent. As a result, basic English and m...
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/cutting-prison-education-is-a-calamity/
5 months ago
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Here's the story for this:
inews.co.uk/news/welder-...
It's a proposal from Make UK Defence and the Fair Chance Business Alliance for an apprenticeship scheme that would help people leaving prison into skilled jobs in the defence industry.
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5 months ago
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The new prison education contracts do not address current chronic underfunding, with rising costs leaving some prisons facing substantial cuts. The government should look again at finding more funding to enable people to use their time in prison constructively.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
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Prisons in England and Wales to cut spending on education courses by up to 50%
Move comes despite election manifesto promises from Keir Starmer to improve ‘access to learning’
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/14/prisons-in-england-and-wales-to-cut-spending-on-education-courses-by-up-to-50
5 months ago
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This is a good article on a prison-university partnership in the US.
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5 months ago
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Two-fifths of people in Wormwood Scrubs spend at least 22.5 hours per day in their cell. Just grim.
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5 months ago
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Good to see innovative things - in this case a workshop teaching people to build bikes out of bamboo - happening in prisons despite all the current challenges. And also good to see the value of family connections being realised.
www.ft.com/content/6ebe...
5 months ago
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This is a really *excellent* album. Very much recommended.
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5 months ago
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These are consistently great and this one is no exception.
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5 months ago
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reposted by
Jon Collins
Prisoners' Education Trust
6 months ago
There's still time to apply for our Policy Manager role! The closing date for applications is this Monday at 5pm. Help us influence prison education policy and improve educational experiences for people in prison. Apply here 👇
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Policy Manager - Prisoners' Education Trust
Prisoners’ Education Trust is looking for a Policy Manager to play a key role in our work at a critical time for prison education policy.
https://prisonerseducation.org.uk/vacancy/policy-manager/
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Some thoughts on the new prison education contracts. Broadly speaking there's some change but there's a lot that's the same, and the biggest question is whether there's enough funding available to drive much-needed improvements. (Thanks, as always, to
@russellwebster.com
for publishing it!)
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6 months ago
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More problems at the Secure School, which will close until its internal doors can be replaced, after Oasis (who run it) judged it couldn't keep the 10 young people it was holding safe.
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6 months ago
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Coverage of changes to procurement rules that have led to the
@unlockedgrads.bsky.social
scheme closing (and also impacted Frontline and
@teachfirst.bsky.social
). Lots of
@unlockedgrads.bsky.social
officers do a lot to support education and it's been a real shame to see it scrapped in this way.
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6 months ago
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Less than eight weeks after the government said they’d legislate to deport foreign people in prison earlier, they’re now planning to legislate again to deport them even earlier. Presumably a sign that they’re (understandably) getting worried about prison capacity again.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
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Foreign criminals to face immediate deportation
Foreign criminals will for the first time face immediate deportation after sentencing as the Government strengthens border security through the Plan for Change.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-criminals-to-face-immediate-deportation
6 months ago
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Thank you so much to all our supporters! Your generosity will help us to enable and empower people in prison to access education and all its benefits.
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6 months ago
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