The Open University welcomes Justice Committee report on ending the reoffending cycle

Posted on 14 November 2025 • Law, University news

The Open University, the largest provider of higher education in prisons in the UK, has today (Friday 14^th November 2025) welcomed the report of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee ‘Ending the cycle of reoffending – rehabilitation in prisons’. The Committee’s report highlights the work of The Open University in providing higher education in prisons and its help in cutting reoffending rates.

The Open University currently works in over 150 prisons and has been delivering higher education in prisons for over 50 years. It currently supports around 2,000 students a year in prison, secure units and under licence in the community.

The Committee’s report includes several recommendations supported by The Open University including:

• Ending the rule that prohibits students from accessing a student loan until they are within six years of their release date.
• Increased access to prison education for prisoners on remand.
• Increased access to educational materials including digital materials.
• Additional support for neurodivergent students who are often not identified within the prison system.

Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:

“Prison education works. It cuts reoffending, reduces costs on the public purse and helps build a stronger economy.

“With reoffending costing the UK billions of pounds a year and the ever growing pressure to create more and more prison places, we simply cannot afford to sit back and let reoffending continue at the rate it is.

“The Justice Committee is absolutely right that we need to invest in prison education and make it more accessible so that even more prisoners can rehabilitate themselves and play a reformed role in society on their release. I’m proud of the work The Open University does in educating prisoners and the vital role we play in helping people reform themselves and make meaningful and successful contributions to society on their release.”

Michala Robertson, Assistant Director, Student Additional Support at The Open University who gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee said:

“I’m pleased to see the Select Committee recognise the work of The Open University in delivering quality higher education in prison.

“Report after report shows the benefit of prison education to society and prisoners themselves. The report of the Committee today is another important recognition of this and should act as a rallying cry for further policy changes and investment to support even more prisoners being able to turn their lives around.

“If more prisoners were able to access student loans earlier in their prison sentence or easily access prison education while on remand, then we could make the power of education to transform lives go further.”