Prisoners serving long sentences at one of the UK’s most secure jails have sat GCSE English and outperformed many of their peers on the outside.
More than three-quarters (78%) of the small cohort of prisoners who sat the exam at HMP Frankland in County Durham secured a pass at grade 4 or above – equivalent to a C – which is almost three times the success rate for resits in further education colleges in England, according to their teachers.
Their success was achieved despite their studies being restricted by their circumstances. The prisoners had just a year to complete the course, which was condensed into one three-and-a-half hour session each week and – unlike the average GCSE candidate – they were permitted zero access to the internet.
One found himself studying for his GCSE at the same time as his son, which proved a bonding experience during family phone calls.
