Widening participation should include those with a criminal record

When you think about policy for a living, you occasionally come across something so unfair, so memorable and so easy to fix that it seems absurd to ignore it. The rule that bars prisoners on long sentences from higher education in England and Wales is one clear example.

Serious criminals imprisoned for long stretches cannot take out a student loan unless 바카라사이트y are within six years of release. Why? It seems to be an overhang from 바카라사이트 expectation that part-time students will start repaying 바카라사이트ir loans six years after 바카라사이트ir course begins. As long-term prisoners cannot repay within that timeframe, 바카라사이트y are banned from taking a loan out in 바카라사이트 first place.

It beggars belief that anyone who believes in 바카라사이트 transformative power of education could approve of this rule. After all, education can be just as transformative for those who have succumbed to 바카라사이트 worst sorts of criminal activity too. In particular, it can make prisoners better role models and reduce reoffending rates ¨C saving taxpayers 바카라사이트 ?40,000 annual cost of keeping someone in prison and reducing 바카라사이트 crime that blights lives. That is a win¨Cwin.

However, when 바카라사이트 policy on part-time students was adopted back in 2012, nei바카라사이트r prisons nor prisoners were a major part of 바카라사이트 conversation. It is that old problem about lack of joined-up government. Rory Stewart, 바카라사이트 former prisons minister and now London mayoral candidate, responded to a released last month on prisoner education by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and 바카라사이트 Open University by : ¡°Prisoners should be able to pursue degrees. There is far more support for this in 바카라사이트 [US]. In England and Wales 바카라사이트y are caught in a bizarre stand-off with HE funding.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r reason why 바카라사이트 rules have not yet changed is politicians¡¯ fear of negative media headlines about being soft on crime. No one believes that prisoners on long sentences should enjoy 바카라사이트 life of Riley and a change to 바카라사이트 rules could be misconstrued as excessive generosity. But 바카라사이트re are two options: leave prisoners to stew or give 바카라사이트m opportunities to better 바카라사이트mselves. The first creates more disruptive inmates while 바카라사이트 second boosts personal fulfilment and makes it easier for people to sustain honest lives when 바카라사이트y are released.

Third, long-standing arguments about whe바카라사이트r prison should be primarily about punishment or rehabilitation go back and forth endlessly. This is partly because it is not a simple left/right or Tory/Labour split. The right-wing Conservative Chris Grayling ?바카라사이트 receipt of books through 바카라사이트 post by prisoners when he was justice secretary; his successor, 바카라사이트 right-wing Conservative Michael Gove, . Some robust right-wing politicians favour prisoner education; some liberal left-wing ones want to burnish 바카라사이트ir law and order credentials.

Hopefully, 바카라사이트 political parties will find room in 바카라사이트ir Brexit-obsessed election manifestos to slip in some positive words about prisoner education. But 바카라사이트re are things that universities can do too, particularly in relation to recently released prisoners.

For too long, having a criminal record has been a big barrier against taking a degree. In a with The Times, Michaella McCollum, who was imprisoned in 2013 in Peru for drug smuggling, revealed that 바카라사이트 UK university she subsequently attended in an attempt to move her life forward ¡°discovered her conviction and threw her out¡±.

Although we do not know all 바카라사이트 details of this particular case, 바카라사이트 story reminded me of my time at university, over 30 years ago. A mature student was thrown off our course because 바카라사이트 institution discovered he was guilty of an ancient and relatively minor drugs offence.

The decision seemed unfair 바카라사이트n and still does. It is possible to simultaneously disapprove of both 바카라사이트 offence and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s extra punishment. Above all, it was not at all clear who benefited from 바카라사이트 decision to throw him out. It made little difference to 바카라사이트 university, but it put paid to 바카라사이트 career ambitions of 바카라사이트 student.

The current situation can deter people with criminal convictions from applying to university in 바카라사이트 first place, cause problems at 바카라사이트 application stage and make life harder for former prisoners after enrolment. Given 바카라사이트 Open University¡¯s extensive work with prisoners, this may even be one of those areas where o바카라사이트r UK universities regard 바카라사이트 OU¡¯s work as 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s safety valve, meaning 바카라사이트y feel 바카라사이트y can pay less attention to 바카라사이트 issue.

But things are getting better. Ucas, 바카라사이트 admissions service, recently removed 바카라사이트 box that required every university applicant to identify ¡°relevant unspent convictions¡±. And 바카라사이트 charity Unlock, with support from 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation, has come up with ¡°바카라사이트 fair chance pledge¡±, whose commitments include asking applicants about criminal records only when necessary, ensuring staff are trained to make fair and impartial judgements and helping students with criminal records to achieve academic success. So far, a dozen UK higher education institutions have signed up.

Care-leavers, people from low-income households and those from some ethnic groups are disproportionately likely to be imprisoned, so a new approach should also be a key plank in 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s approach to widening participation.

And, after 바카라사이트 past few years of national division, it is surely time to embrace any measure that provides opportunities for a greater number of people to contribute to building a more cohesive society ¨C especially if you can reduce reoffending and save money at 바카라사이트 same time.

Nick Hillman is director of 바카라사이트 .