‘Abysmal’ completion rates for prison education leads to recidivism fears

Australia’s efforts to rehabilitate its prisoners through education and training have “failed miserably”, with experts urging for a new approach to preventing repeat offending.

Enrolments in education and training courses among criminals serving time around the country collapsed around the time of the pandemic, new research by the MacKenzie Institute shows, and far fewer prisoners now undertake any kind of education behind bars than in 2019.

Among those prisoners who do enrol, the course completion rates are “abysmal”, according to education and training expert Tom Karmel, former managing director of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Karmel’s research shows many courses have completion rates below 10 per cent.

The institute’s analysis of five years of data on enrolment and completion of VET courses by Australian prisoners shows that only a small percentage of those beginning a course, especially the most basic ones, were finishing them.

Completion rates for the most popular courses being studied behind bars, offering certificates I, II and III qualifications, were just 4 per cent, 7 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, between 2019 and 2023.

The higher level courses – certificate IV, diploma or above, which had a much lower participation than the entry-level courses – had completion rates of 30 and 35 per cent respectively in the same period.

Vocational education and training for criminals is seen as a vital part of rehabilitation efforts, with offenders who achieve a qualification or work ticket behind bars much more likely to land a job after their release, Karmel says.

“The key goal of rehabilitation is to reduce reoffending,” Karmel told this masthead.

“A reduction in reoffending will mean fewer victims of crime and less social and economic cost to the community.

“The obvious answer is to rehabilitate prisoners through vocational education and employment, but it is failing miserably.”

The MacKenzie Research Institute is an initiative of Holmesglen TAFE, named after and headed by the training institution’s former director Bruce MacKenzie.

MacKenzie shares Karmel’s views on the “abysmal” completion rates of VET courses in the nation’s prisons and is arguing for a different approach, which would provide courts with an alternative to the current options of jail, community supervision orders and bail.

MacKenzie says some offenders should be able to serve eight to 12 months in a secure, regional training facility, which would be intensely focused on vocational education.

“The program would need to be on a new secure campus – preferably in a regional area – to give the young people up to age 29 the best chance of successfully completing the courses without distractions,” MacKenzie said.

The centre would teach job-ready skills to prisoners in small classes of fewer than 24, as well as literacy, numeracy and digital ability. MacKenzie envisions it would offer outdoor education and activities to help build socialisation and self-awareness.

“The object is employment after completion,” MacKenzie said. “It would be expensive, but this is against the $159,510 cost per prisoner per year that is currently spent by governments.

“Our proposal is a bargain if it can make inroads to the current level of recidivism. At least it would be a positive attempt to address the rise in youth crime we have seen.

“Certainly, our current strategies are failing.

“If vocational education and training is to be part of an approach to address the increase in crime especially among young people, then it will have to be part of a fundamental rethink.”

A spokesperson for the Victorian government said it worked hard to get its prisoners into education and training and had put an extra $37 million, in the 2022 budget into education and training in the corrections system.

“Supporting people to gain sustainable employment is key to reducing the risk of reoffending - which is why we provide people in prison with education and training opportunities,” the spokesperson said.

“Victoria recorded the second-highest rate of overall prisoner education participation across Australia.”

“Corrections Victoria offers vocational courses like construction, welding, business and hospitality, alongside programs to boost literacy and digital skills – giving people the tools to succeed when they return to the community.”

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