Prison education review announced

Prisoners needed to gain the literacy and numeracy skills to become positive contributors to society, said Mr Gove

The justice secretary has ordered a review to consider the "incentivisation of prisoners to participate in, attend and achieve at education".

In July, Michael Gove raised the possibility of early release for those who gained skills and qualifications.

Led by head teacher Dame Sally Coates, the inquiry will report early in 2016.

It will also consider the greater use of technology and the "direct engagement" of employers in shaping prisoners' learning.

Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon said: "Providing people with the knowledge and skills to help them lead a law-abiding life on release should be a central aim of a modern and effective penal system."

Mr Gove said: "We have more than 80,000 adults in our custody.

"One of the most important things we can do once they are inside the prison walls is to make sure that they get the literacy and numeracy skills they need to make them employable and positive contributors to society once released.

"For those serving longer sentences, education and training is a key part of their rehabilitation.

"We must have the right incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to make sure that education is properly prioritised.

"I want to see prisoners motivated to engage in their own learning, and governors with the right tools to be more demanding and creative about the education provided in the prisons they run.

"I have seen some excellent examples of innovation and visionary organisations providing prisoners with education opportunities and qualifications they actually need to help secure a job on release. But I want to see more."

In a speech in July to the Prisoner Learning Alliance, Mr Gove called for an end to the "idleness and futility" of prison life.

He said the inability of prisoners to read properly or master basic mathematics made them prime candidates for reoffending.

A system of "earned release" would be a major change from the current policy where most prisoners are automatically released on licence half way through their sentences.

In July, Mr Gove said he recognised "technical and complex policy questions" about how such a change could be implemented.