UCU warns LSC not to deliver prison education 'on the cheap'

The call comes as contracts for three North London prisons - HMP Pentonville, HMP Holloway and HMP Belmarsh - are being re-tendered and the union is concerned that a lack of proper investment from the LSC is discouraging further education colleges, who guarantee better pay and conditions for staff, from bidding for the contracts.
 
City and Islington College and Hammersmith West London College have both withdrawn bids for running education programmes at the prisons after complaining that there wasn't enough money to deliver a good quality service. UCU has warned that allowing private sector bidders, some of who have failed with previous bids and have little or no experience in the field, to run prison education programmes will make it much harder for staff to do their jobs.
 
In March 980 prison educators signed a petition calling on the LSC to ensure that whoever wins the contracts provides pay rates and career progression structures that are comparable with further education lecturers.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Prison education cannot be run on the cheap and it is essential that standards and quality are the first consideration when contracts are handed out. UCU members do an invaluable job with in-mates at Holloway, Pentonville and Belmarsh and deserve proper pay and good working conditions. Their work needs to be properly funded.
 
'Further education colleges have an excellent record of providing quality provision and meeting the needs of service users. They are a much better choice than private sector bidders, especially those who have been unsuccessful with bids in the past and lack experience. Colleges must be must be allowed to continue to provide this invaluable service.'