PET Academic Symposium 2018

Prisoners' Education Trust presents #AcademicPrisons, our fifth annual Academic Symposium, held in partnership with the University of Westminster.

The symposium aims to mobilise the experience, expertise and energy within the PUPiL and PLAN networks. As Governors take control of prison education budgets later this year, it is a crucial time to bring together academics, practitioners, governors, learners and policy-makers to discuss how to meet the challenges and opportunities of this new landscape. In particular, we will explore the implications of the new Ministry of Justice definition of prison education:

“Activities that give individuals the skills they need to unlock their potential, gain employment and become assets to their communities. It should also build social capital and improve the well-being of prisoners during their sentences.”

Confirmed Speakers Include

• Dr. Sarah Armstrong - Director of the Scottish Centre for Social Justice Research

• Tess Gale - Prison Education Reform Team, Ministry of Justice

• Phil Novis - Governor of HMP Leicester

Confirmed Workshops Include

• A campaign for fair admissions for people with convictions - Unlock, the Longford Trust and PET

• Convict Criminology – Dr Sacha Darke and Dr Andy Aresti, University of Westminster

• The Cell Workout Workshops – Hannah Baumer, Royal Holloway University of London and LJ Flanders

• Given the Choice - Lindsay Battersby, Deputy Education Manager, Novus, HMP Wakefield

• Learning from the African Prisons Project – Kamiti Maximum Security Prison and Shimo La Tewa Women’s Prison, Kenya

• Improving Language, Improving Lives: ESOL delivery in prisons – Learning and Work Institute and Ross Little, De Montfort University

• The Linked-Up Project: London Shakespeare Project and HMP Pentonville

• Alevi communities in prison – HMP Pentonville and University of Westminster

• Collaborative practice between HMP Oakwood and the Open University

• Tackling the use of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in prisons through educational engagement – Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and University of Hertfordshire

Stay informed of updates here or through the event page on our website.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception at the venue between 4 and 6pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Prison University Partnerships in Learning- PUPiL

PET is excited to be working with the growing number of prison/university partnerships across the country. These partnerships bring universities and prisons, and students and prisoners, together in a range of innovative ways.

Prisoner Learning Academic Network- PLAN

PLAN's overall aim is to raise the profile, quality and impact of all levels of prison education by promoting and supporting rigorous and collaborative research, consultation and dissemination.