Creativity in a restricted regime: a guide for prison staff
Our new guide for prison staff on enabling creative activity in a restricted regime through Covid-19 and beyond is now available to read.
2021 NCJAA bursary scheme now open
We're pleased to announce that the 2021 NCJAA bursary scheme is now open to arts practitioners working in criminal justice settings looking to develop their practice. The bursary is a cash grant of up to £500 designed to support arts practitioners in criminal justice settings to access training or other costs associated with developing skills [...]
Prison education commissioning update for sole traders
The Ministry of Justice’s Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) has updated its terms to make it easier for sole traders to join the system and bid for education contracts. The DPS was launched in November 2018 and is specifically designed to enable prison governors to secure specialist or one-off education provision to meet short-term needs. The […]
Four months in, how are arts organisations finding the new prison education commissioning tool?
Our director, Jessica Plant, shares what we have heard from those using the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and reflects on what the new commissioning process might mean for arts delivery in prison education. It’s now been over four months since the new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) went live for bids via the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) […]
Requirements for prison education and library services
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published a Policy Framework that details the minimum mandatory requirements that governors and prison staff must adhere to in the provision of education and library services in adult prisons in England. We are pleased to see that the framework recognises a prison library must: promote reading as a source […]
How are you finding the new education procurement system?
The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, Clinks and the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) would like to hear about your experiences of using the new online procurement system for education services, also known as the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). We will use this to monitor how the DPS is working in practice, and feedback to Her […]
Update on new prison education contracts
Francesca Cooney, Head of Policy at Prisoners’ Education Trust and National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance steering group member, has provided a useful update on the new prison education contracts in a blog for Criminal Justice Alliance. The new contracts will allow governors to commission education services both through a core Prison Education Framework (PEF) contract, and directly – […]
Prison education system launched
The Ministry of Justice’s ongoing selection stage of the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (PEDPS) has been launched meaning providers can once again apply to participate. It is specifically designed to enable governors to secure specialist or one-off education provision to meet short-term needs and help create and grown relationships with local employers and educators […]
New Prison Education Contracts
The Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) contracts come to an end in March 2019, making way for a new era of governor-led education commissioning. The Ministry of Justice’s new commissioning framework presents both challenges and new opportunities for providers, charities, colleges and others to deliver education services in prisons. From April 2019 governors will […]