Crime and Lifelong Learning

This paper argues that if lifelong learning is to have a reasonable chance of improving the crime situation it needs to be linked to other and broader social policies. See full range of papers from the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning (IFLL) Written by Professor Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry, this is the fifth of the Inquiry¿s thematic papers to be published. Crime and punishment cost us all a huge amount, economically, socially and personally. Prison populations have soared, taking us down a road from which it is difficult to retreat. Prisons are full of offenders with very low educational levels. Investing in better education and training opportunities gives hope, and makes good economic as well as social sense. However, despite some advances, this positive investment is currently not adequate, in quality or size. This paper argues that if lifelong learning is to have a reasonable chance of improving the crime situation it needs to be linked to other and broader social policies.