Barriers to, and facilitators of, inclusion in prison education: Reflections from the frontline

Abstract This article considers the barriers to, and facilitators of, inclusive education within prison contexts in the United Kingdom (UK), specifically focusing on England and Wales. Our review of the existing research revealed that there is a gap in the prison education literature which we have attempted to address in this paper. Although existing studies highlight issues relating to the quality of education in prisons and the inconsistency of educational provision, studies which privilege the voices of prison educators on the topic of inclusive prison education were less evident. Drawing on the perspectives of a prison educator (Amanda, co‐author), we highlight the factors which make educational inclusion more challenging within the context of prisons. Factors include lack of suitable training, lack of resources and lack of time. After reflecting on these challenges, we suggest several enablers of inclusion within the context of prison education.