Education, Arts and Sports in PrisonEducation, Arts and Sports in Prison
Facilities for education and the arts in prison are provided by the Prison Education Service, which consists of a partnership between the Irish Prison Service and a range of educational agencies from the community.
A number of programmes are co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, including the Writers in Prison scheme and the Visual artists in prisons scheme.
The Prison Education Service website offers a comprehensive overview of programmes, with useful information about the work of artists in prisons along with galleries of art work by the prisoners themselves.
Further information on prisoner education and associated news and events is available from Prison Education News, a website run by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee's (CDVEC) Educational Service to Prisons.
News and media items on arts (music, drama, visual art) and sports in prison are included below.
Image taken from a gallery of art work by prisoners. See: www.pesireland.org
US: Reading courses as an alternative to prison 21st July 2010
In Texas, offenders are being sent on reading courses instead of going to prison. Read more
Guardian: Prison library helps to transport lives 7th July 2010
The recently refurbished library in Edinburgh was yesterday named winner of the 2010 UK Libraries Change Lives Award. The Governor of the prison, Nigel Ironside, believes prisoners engaging in literacy and basic learning will provide an incentive to reduce re-offending. Read more
Prison Photography: 'Still Life: Killing Time' 22nd June 2010
Edmund Clark’s 'Still Life: Killing Time' captures in photographs the "slowness, the fabric and the accoutrements of prison life for elderly inmates." Read more
50% increase in prisoners sitting Leaving Cert exams 9th June 2010
117 prisoners are sitting Leaving Cert exams, and 161 are taking Junior Certificate subjects in the exams which start today. Given the chronic conditions that many of our prisoners live in, this is truly an achievement... Read more
Guardian: Good things can happen in our prisons 1st June 2010
Erwin James reflects on his turning point in prison, the introduction to philosophy. Read more
Guardian: Homeless people and prisoners to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show 18th May 2010
A collaboration between the Eden Project and homeless people and prisoners is creating Chelsea's largest ever garden. Read more
Guardian: Theatre project leads to West End stage for ex-prisoners 14th April 2010
The transformative power of theatre has been harnassed to provide a lifeline for some prisoners. Read more
UK: Crafts in Prison 25th March 2010
A quilt hand-crafted by prisoners has taken pride of place in an exhibition at London's V&A museum. Read more
UK: Professional Dance Training for Young Offenders 24th February 2010
UK project 'Dance United' sees reduction in reoffending rates for those young people participating. Read more
Guardian: Appreciating the Magic of the Moors 19th February 2010
Landscape and literature are the tools of change for some young offenders in England. Read more