A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) has praised nine jails where governors put reading at the centre of prison life.
The watchdog found that some prisons had built “vibrant reading cultures”. They did so through schemes to promote literacy and to make books easier to get hold of.
In each of the nine prisons, leaders made reading a core part of the regime, according to the inspectors. Libraries were active and well used, and prisoners benefited from interventions that put reading at the heart of their rehabilitation.
The findings follow earlier HMIP reviews in 2022 and 2023. Those reviews found “serious deficiencies in the teaching of reading across the prison estate”.
At that time, the prisoners with the weakest literacy got the least support. Education providers did little to tackle low achievement, and libraries still had Covid-era limits on their opening hours.
Book nooks and reading breaks
The report singled out several prisons for particular praise.
At Chelmsford, staff tried to engage new arrivals by asking them about reading. They also offered each newcomer a book for the first night.
Rye Hill has introduced ‘Drop Everything and Read’ (DEAR) sessions. The prison encourages everyone, staff and prisoners alike, to stop and read for 15 minutes three times a week.
Send has an outdoor ‘book nook’. This unstaffed box lets women pick up a book, or leave one they have finished for someone else.
According to HMIP, the most successful prisons had developed a “whole-prison reading culture”. The report said: “Uniformed staff understood and promoted the importance of reading. Reading opportunities were advertised and accessible across the prison for all levels of ability, and prisoners’ participation was incentivised, rewarded and celebrated.”
Too many jails falling short
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “This report highlights some very positive findings from jails in which committed governors and other leaders had worked together to create a strong reading culture in the prison. Yet we continue to find that reading has not been prioritised with nearly enough commitment in too many prisons.”
He urged governors and the prison service to learn from the best jails. Better provision, he said, would help create more stable prisons and cut the risk of future reoffending.
HMIP surveys have found that 45 per cent of prisoners say they need help with reading. According to the surveys, prisoners who struggle to read are more likely to take drugs, to feel unsafe and to spend time in segregation.
