Today (13.01.2026), we respond to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on reading in prisons. We welcome the report’s findings and Charlie Taylor’s call for prisons to learn from the best examples of literacy education in prisons.
Helen Dyson, Interim Chief Executive and Director of Support and Advice Services
“57% of adults in prison have a literacy level below that expected of an 11-year-old and up to half are functionally illiterate (Charlie Taylor, October 2025). This detrimentally impacts people’s ability to engage fully with the prison regime, and in the longer-term impacts how people build confidence, develop essential skills, and access training or employment opportunities when they return to the community.
“This can leave people unable to navigate complex systems and access the right support on release, increasing their vulnerability to offending, which costs the UK £23.6 billion per year.
“We welcome Charlie Taylor’s call for prison governors and the prison service to learn from the best examples of literacy education in prisons. Reading isn’t just about books – it opens up opportunities and helps create a second chance for people to build the life they want, away from offending.
“If we are serious about creating safer communities, education must be properly prioritised, resourced, and embedded at the heart of the prison system.”
Notes to editor
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on reading in prisons
- ‘What do cuts to prison education provision mean?’, Blog by Charlie Taylor, HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Our work in Justice
Our justice work aims to break the cycle of crime and disadvantage in the community and in prison. We believe that for people who end up in prison it should be the start of something better not a road to nowhere. We work with people at every stage of the criminal justice system from liaison and diversion services at policy custody and court, education in prisons and prison resettlement services.