Prison Education - A hard cell?

Tuesday 19 January 2021, 13:00- 14:00 (online)

In 2016, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) launched a Learning & Skills Strategy stating that ‘everyone in our care has the opportunity to engage in creative and flexible learning that unlocks potential, inspires change and builds individual strengths’. The strategy and accompanying vision were strongly influenced by a previous Scottish Government ‘Pathfinder’ project exploring innovative ways of addressing literacy/numeracy issues and a refocus on the role of the creative arts in prisons.

Chaired by Dr Victoria Knight, director of the Prison and Probation Research Hub, at De Montfort University, this event will discuss with James King, Head of Education at the Scottish Prison Service and author of the strategy reflects on its outcomes and how the underpinning principles have influenced his recent Europris Expert Group Report on prison education.

JAMES (JIM) KING:

Jim took up post as Head of Education at the Scottish Prison Service in 2011 following several years of teaching in prisons as part of a national Scottish Government initiative on literacy and numeracy. During this time Jim was able to explore and refocus on the benefits of creative interventions in prisons such as drama, Scots Language, Readers & Writers in Residence, university partnerships, and film. Last year, as the chairperson and author of an international Expert Group report on prison education, Jim presented their findings to the Council of Europe Committee Penological Committee in Strasbourg.

Jim has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Social Science (GCU, Glasgow), Post Graduate Certificate in Developmental Disorders (University of South Wales); Master of Science (MSc) in Adult Education (University of Glasgow); Master of Arts (MA) in Literacy and Language Studies (University of Lancaster) and Master of Studies (MSt) in Criminology from the University of Cambridge.

This event is open to all, and you can book your place here.

Bookings will close 1hr prior to the start of the event. Registrants will receive a link to join the online talk 24hrs before the event, via their provided email address.

Please contact the DMU Events Office at [email protected] if you have any questions.