Dr Erin Condirston, Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, unpacks her research exploring the links between education and wellbeing for people in prison.
Traditionally, education in prisons has been regarded as a tool of rehabilitation, used to facilitate an effective return to the community and improve the employment prospects of people in prison.
Although there are studies acknowledging the positive personal development outcomes of participating in prison education, the wellbeing impact has not been a common topic within research.
In an effort to bridge this gap, I connected with PET in 2019 and began my PhD research at Royal Holloway, University of London exploring how people in prison who were engaging with education might be impacted from a wellbeing standpoint.
Learning to cope with stress and hardship
Our experiences and what contributes to improving or sustaining a positive state of mental health is subjective and unique to each of us.
With that said, the positive impact of education on health, and increasingly wellbeing, has been well-documented in research.
For example, it has been established that positive outcomes of education -such as improved self-esteem, confidence and a sense of purpose -can contribute to the promotion of mental health and wellbeing, by strengthening the ability to more effectively cope with stress and hardship.
The wellbeing benefits of education would seemingly be of particular importance to people in prison – a group that typically has had previous negative experiences of education.
However, research into the success of education in prison remains primarily focused on formal achievements and qualifications which are then compared to rates of reoffending.
Wellbeing and prison education: a complex relationship
For two years, I explored the wellbeing impact of prison education in a variety of contexts.
I firstly examined letters written by learners in prison who were applying for educational funding through PET. I subsequently explored the wellbeing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the educational experiences of learners during the prison lockdown, and finally concluded my research by conducting interviews with prison educators and people who had formerly been learners in prison.
Read Dr Erin Condirston’s research here
My research findings acknowledged the complex nature of the relationship between prison education and wellbeing and served to challenge my initial belief that prison education would impact wellbeing in a wholly positive way.
Although the findings point to the potential that exists for prison education to positively impact learners’ wellbeing, they also underscore that this potential is neither universal, certain nor fixed.
My results suggested that the relationship between wellbeing and prison education is varied and can affect people learning in prison in a multitude of ways. Some people may experience positive wellbeing impacts, but some may have a more complicated prison education experience where the potential for adverse wellbeing effects is triggered.
For example, some participants spoke to me about the volatile environment of the prison classroom and how this diverged from the relative ordinariness of their experience of education prior to prison. This jarring experience of education within prison led them to negatively characterise their experience of prison education and wellbeing.
Alternatively, others spoke of the positive wellbeing value embedded in the social sphere of the classroom, where reciprocal, open discussion was encouraged and learners were able to mix with a group of people with whom they may not typically come into contact.
What makes a difference
During my research, I found that the past and current life and educational experiences of those learning in prison can impact their wellbeing in dynamic ways when engaging in prison education. The following elements of learning in a prison environment emerged as contributing to wellbeing in both positive and negative ways:
- the environment in which education takes place in prison (which includes the physical space in which classes are held)
- the level of support for education that is provided by the education department and prison as a whole
- the level of commitment and support of educators
- the provision, structure and regime of education within the prison
Additionally, the following factors surfaced in my research as potential contributors to a negative relationship between prison education and wellbeing:
- prison education experiences that are not typical of previous positive experiences of education
- prison environments that are not conducive to learning
- education provision that is rigid and inflexible
- educators who are uncommitted or insensitive to the challenges people learning in prison face
- a lack of support for education within the prison
- the inability to continue educational pursuits “through the gate”
A more expansive understanding of education’s benefits
Eight years on from Dame Sally Coates’ 2016 review of education where the significance of a tailored approach to learning in prison was underscored, the findings of my research demonstrate that a holistic approach to education must consider the reality of the learning experience for people in prison, and consequently the ways in which wellbeing can be impacted in both positive and negative ways.
Facilitating improved mental health and wellbeing of people in prison is a substantial hurdle to overcome that requires a deeper understanding of the histories and experiences of the imprisoned population.
When delivered in the right way for each person in prison (and for the right reasons), the capacity for the relationship between prison education and wellbeing to be a positive one is generated.
Importantly, a wider recognition that the distinct context in which prison education is delivered can impact the wellbeing of learners can only serve to contribute to a more expansive understanding of the benefits of prison education.
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