Education in Prison

Emma Hughes is Associate Professor of Criminology at California State University, Fresno, USA.

• Acknowledgments; Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Motivations for Education in Prison; Chapter 3 Disincentives for Education in Prison; Chapter 4 Experiences of Education: Coping with Prison and Changes in Self-perception; Chapter 5 Experiences of Education: The Role of ‘Others’, Prison-based Challenges and Building a Culture of Learning; Chapter 6 Future Course of Action; Chapter 7 Conclusion;

'This important new work captures the crucial tension at the heart of prison education. In many ways, education is the opposite of imprisonment. It opens up possibilities instead of closing them off. The challenge for the 'prisoner-student', so vividly captured in this rich study, is to escape the mental and spiritual imprisonment of the jail through learning. In that sense, Education in Prison can be seen as a case study in the triumph of the human spirit.' Shadd Maruna, Queen's University Belfast, UK ’Hughes’ book is a fabulous addition to the literature on prisoner reform. Based on interviews with inmates, this qualitative study is comprehensive, detailed and finely nuanced. It is a book of hope and caution, using education as an example of the personal strength, resilience, skills and just plain luck needed to succeed in learning and in life.’ Bonita M. Veysey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, USA 'Presented as a 198-page hardback (or an e-book), ’Education in prison’, is a welcome addition to the limited literature in the under-researched field of ’prisoner’ education... the book is a must for anyone wishing to know more about education in prison. It should appeal to researchers, policy makers and practitioners as it provides rich accounts of the benefits and barriers to learning in prison and the implication, for the prison system and its staff, to develop a more supportive learning environment. However, it should also appeal to a wider readership as it removes some of the mystery of prison, providing great insight into the role of education in prison and its potential benefits for society as a whole.' Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning '... Emma Hughes offers a detailed and thought-provoking presentation of the personal, social and environmental factors that influence engagement with education in prison and with distance learning in particular. ... This book is a useful contribution to a very limited research field on di