Education in prison: a literature review

Approximately 11 million people are in prisons worldwide, a number that is constantly growing. Many prisons are overcrowded and at crisis point, unable to provide education –  a fundamental human right to which all prisoners should have access. To identify current trends, progress and challenges in prison education at a global level, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has published Education in prison: A literature review.

The publication recognizes the variety of understandings of the concept of education in prison and aims to provide a renewed approach to the subject, as well as to build a solid knowledge base. It surveys the literature in English and focuses on some of the unique characteristics and challenges concerning the provision of education in prison. It also documents what remains an unserved domain of education and penal policy and can inform actions and reforms by governments, policy-makers, concerned organizations and other stakeholders engaged in ensuring that incarceration does not become a barrier to the right to education.

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