Supporting Prison Learners to Prepare for Life on the Outside

New research suggests that 81% of prison leavers state that they received no support preparing for their release from prison.

Augmented Reality (AR) can provide offender learners with a more interactive way of learning, facilitate research, activities, instruction and information. A series of AR resources, including resource posters and guidance/learning cards, covering aspects of employability and life skills to support offender learners to prepare for life on release. This will give a more personal and realistic approach to support learners for life on release and reintegration back into society. A pilot project will be needed in prison establishments, with ‘security and access’ a key factor and of major importance. The project will need to ensure that the resources are 'locked' from the outside world and access is monitored and within the security confines required for custodial institutions.

The project aims:

• Develop high-quality resources using AR to engage learners, having access to specific resource topics, translated into their own native language
• Improve education results in offender institutions
• Evaluate the effectiveness of using AR resources
• Meet security and access requirements, ensuring that the resources are 'locked' from the outside world and access is monitored within security guidelines
• Extend and enhance the learner experience using an engaging tool that enables learners to access the content 'at the point of need'
• Widening participation for offender learners in partner countries as a result of production, dissemination and embedding of the AR resources.

Project pilot trials will take place in the UK, and also Prison establishments in the project partner countries; Belgium and two in Romania.

Project Blog

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Project Partners

Biblioteca Judeteana Antim Ivireanu Valcea

Centrul Pentru Promovarea Invatarii Permanente Timisoara Asociatia

EHC Brussels (European Humanity Center Brussels)

Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.