Family and friends

If we can get into the prisons and educate these young men and young women, then they will come out and be better citizens in our communities and another family will not have to face being a victim of crime.

Pastor Lorraine Jones, mother and anti-violence campaigner

We know that friends and family often play a key role in encouraging someone to make the most of their time in prison, helping them take up distance learning and supporting them through the course.

If you want to support a loved one to start or continue their learning journey, we can help.

How we work

We are a charity that funds people in prison to complete distance learning courses, giving them the chance to study subjects and levels that otherwise might not be available. Friends and family are not able to apply for funding on behalf of their loved one: people in prison must apply for funding themselves, with the assistance of a prison staff member – usually a member of the education department – who provides them with a form and a written endorsement for the application.

You can find information about the application process and what courses are available in our prison staff section.

Find out more

Other useful organisations:

Hardman Trust: Hosts a directory which covers a huge array of funding available to people during and after prison

Unlock: Offers advice and support for people after release from prison

Forward Trust: Helps people with a history of addiction to move forward with their lives

I would say it’s never too late or too early to educate yourself. There’s lots of different opportunities. I think education is really important no matter how old you are – if you’re old, young, if you’re kind of in the middle, you should never stop educating yourself and you should believe in yourself and carry on and persist.

Jack, 10