Many people in prison struggle to read, impacting their ability to navigate daily life. If you work in a prison and want to find out how you can champion and support reading, sign up to this event in June to hear from expert voices as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.

"Prison teachers operate at the intersection of education, rehabilitation and the justice system, yet their voices are rarely central to discussions about reform." This is well worth a read - written by a prison tutor who is conducting research that explores the experience of prison educators.

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).

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...

We love this: the debut publication from prison reading campaign Bang Up Books, in collaboration with Koestler Arts. All the writing comes from prisons in England and Wales. Better still, profits go to the Samaritans to support their work in prisons - get your copy here 👇 https://ow.ly/xP1g50YV8IE

We've answered 89 calls in two weeks on our Advice Line - our busiest fortnight ever! A huge thank you to our inspiring team of advisers who have been giving people advice and guidance on studying in prison since the free service launched in 2020.

New research from Working Chance shows that more than half of HR leaders do not feel confident recruiting and supporting people with convictions. That needs to change: work is one of the best ways of preventing people from returning to the criminal justice system. https://ow.ly/7hHT50YVbNV

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...

Has the London Marathon inspired your next challenge? Sign up today for the Royal Parks Half on 11 October and raise vital funds for PET! 🏃‍♂️ Learning with PET helps people in prison restore hope and gain vital skills for release. Register here ⬇️ https://ow.ly/wlhR50Yl4EF

📋 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/

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...

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/

There’s still time to sign up to run the Royal Parks Half with PET in October! The money you raise will help people in prison to build brighter futures through education. Sign up today to make a difference: https://ow.ly/AQIm50YINK1

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...

Prison education cut by a quarter @jonbcollins.bsky.social of @prisonersed.bsky.social sets out the grim details of the slashing of the prison education budget. www.russellwebster.com/prison-educa...

Important reporting from Inside Time here: women in prison will bear the brunt of cuts in education. While the planned hours of education in public sector prisons in England have been cut by 25%, the 10 women’s prisons included in Ministry of Justice data show a steeper average decline of 30%.

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

Great to see this new partnership between Oaklands College and HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire going from strength to strength. Their Skills Bootcamps programme is on track to support over 150 people at the prison gain industry-recognised qualifications.

At a time when the government should be investing in prison education to reduce reoffending, we have instead seen drastic cuts in the first six months of the new contracts. Education should be the cornerstone of a safer, more hopeful prison system. The government must rethink these plans.

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.

New figures from the Ministry of Justice show that the number of planned education hours in public sector prisons in England has been cut by 25%. We unpack what this alarming new data tells us in this explainer: https://ow.ly/WeP150YCetI

We still have a few spaces left for you to join PET for the Royal Parks Half this October. We don’t charge a fee and only ask that you raise £500 to help make a positive difference to the lives of people in prison. Sign up today👇

Today's report by @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social shows access to physical activity in prison isn't good enough. We must move beyond isolated pockets of good practice. Exercise should be a protected part of the curriculum, providing a route to wellbeing, new qualifications and employment on release.

With the clocks about to spring forward, it's great to hear about this green-fingered project from Food Behind Bars. They'll be teaching men at HMP Spring Hill how to cook and grow food - working together to restore the prison garden to provide fresh produce for the kitchens.

Pub company Marston's runs the UK’s first commercially-led hospitality academy inside a women’s prison. They're celebrating a major milestone as the first cohort of trainees have graduated from the Hope & Anchor - the training kitchen and restaurant at HMP Styal 👏🥂

Would you like to run for PET in London’s most popular half marathon this October? Every pound you raise will help ensure that people can gain new skills and qualifications, despite the extreme pressures the prison system is facing. We don’t charge a fee and only ask that you raise £500 minimum.

"Thank you for investing in me. It is appreciated" Those are the words of Kathy, who plans to set up a small business after prison so started our Principles of Management and Leadership qualification. She is one of 1,603 people we helped start courses in 2025. Discover the top 20 courses here 👇

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!

Ready for a new challenge? 🏃‍♀️ Join PET for the Royal Parks Half on 11 October! Run through London’s most beautiful parks while helping people in prison gain the skills they need for a fresh start. We have 8 places available with no registration fee. Register here 👇 https://ow.ly/uKLX50Yl4of

Each PET course can be the start of a brighter future for someone in prison. And, with your help, last year we were able to fund 1,741 courses. Thank you so much to everyone who supported our work in 2025. Have a read of our impact report to see what you helped us achieve.

New figures show that children in prison are still being failed - locked in their cells for most of the day, their legal right to education breached routinely. Later this year the government will set out its plans for improving standards. It's a chance for a total reset that puts education first.

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...

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...

Want to set yourself a challenge this year? With over seven months until the Royal Parks Half there’s plenty of time to start training! Running for PET directly impacts the lives of people in prison, offering them a vital chance to gain new skills. https://ow.ly/jOcR50Yl416

If you have lived experience of prison education, why not join our drop in on 17th March to find out more about this opportunity? More info on the link below. Hopefully see you there!

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.

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...

While prison education is still nowhere near good enough, it has been slowly improving. The cuts will reverse that. We back the Justice Committee's call for a clear plan to improve both participation and quality in prison education and to reverse these ill-conceived cuts. https://ow.ly/K7jx50Y5NOv

Lee Child, the bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series, has been named the first ever Prison Reading Laureate! He plans to expand the literacy pilot programme he has been running in prisons and bring in more authors to champion the importance of literacy skills. https://ow.ly/lVQw50Y4LZs

Great to read about Lady Grosvenor's new Manchester Metropolitan University scholarship programme for young people who were born to a parent in prison or have served time themselves. As well as financial help, a dedicated staff member will ensure the recipients get support during their studies.

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...

The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee has published a report highlighting the challenges people face finding work after prison, and the impact this has on London’s economy. Read our evidence which features in the report here: https://ow.ly/OmvW50XVYcY https://ow.ly/qmOH50XVYe0

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...