Literacy and the criminal justice system
Tabled 17 November 2025 by Valerie Vaz
That this House acknowledges the link between low literacy levels and crime rates; recognises the critical role of literacy enrichment programmes in the rehabilitation and wellbeing of people in prison; notes the National Literacy Trust’s work since 2012 in delivering reading and writing initiatives across 100 prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in the UK; commends programmes such as Books Unlocked, New Chapters, Readconnect and Inside Stories with Audible for their proven impact on participants’ confidence, wellbeing and educational aspirations; expresses concern at recent inspections which found only four out of 42 prisons and YOIs to be offering education, work or skills at a reasonable standard; further notes the crisis in prison education, with libraries often closed and limited access to purposeful activity; believes there should be a wide range of training opportunities at all levels available to the prison population; further recognises that third sector organisations, such as the National Literacy Trust, provide vital services that reach individuals disengaged from formal education; and calls on the Government to provide national, sustained investment in literacy enrichment in prisons as part of a strategy to reduce reoffending, strengthen family connections, boost social cohesion, make communities safer and ensure that prison leavers receive the enrichment opportunities they need to thrive.
Signatories (24)
- Valerie Vaz Sponsor
- Neil Duncan-Jordan
- Jim Shannon
- Kim Johnson
- Andrew George
- Mohammad Yasin
- Dr Ellie Chowns
- Carla Denyer
- Siân Berry
- Adrian Ramsay
- Mary Glindon
- Richard Burgon
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy
- James McMurdock
- Paul Davies
- Mary Kelly Foy
- Rachael Maskell
- Tristan Osborne
- Ian Byrne
- Iqbal Mohamed
- Bob Blackman
- Ian Sollom
- Gill Furniss
- John Whitby