Not just another brick in the wall? Protecting prisoners' right to education

Abstract

Prison education can play a crucial role in prisoners' rehabilitation yet despite prisoners possessing a right to education there are barriers to realising the right to education in practice. This article reviews the barriers to realising the right to education, discusses the legal framework underpinning the right and considers possible ways of enhancing access to education. It is argued that implementation of the right to education should be strengthened and further investment made in education, in view of its benefits to prisoners, prison regimes and to the wider society and to the legitimacy of prison regimes at a time of instability.