Around half a million people are currently held in prisons across the EU. One in five holds foreign citizenship. Around 30% are awaiting trial, sometimes for years. Many face low literacy levels, limited access to learning, and, upon release, a digital world which is constantly changing and that they may not be used to.
International and European frameworks are clear: education in detention should be comparable to that available outside. The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the European Prison Rules, and the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on Education in Prison all affirm this. Moreover, digital competence was recognised by the European Union as one of the eight key competences for lifelong learning, and thus should be applied and adapted to people in closed environments. Yet in practice, the gap between these commitments and daily reality remains.
The challenges on the ground
Participation rates in prison education vary widely across Europe, and illiteracy remains a persistent and often invisible problem. Basic skills education is not often given sufficient priority in many prison regimes, and in several European countries, closed institutions exhibit high rates of relapsed illiteracy. Learners also often hide their inability to read out of shame and do not feel confident to follow existing classes.
At the same time, digital education is increasingly recognised as essential for rehabilitation and reintegration. Yet the vast majority of incarcerated people are currently unable to access digital education programmes, due to security restrictions, limited infrastructure, and a lack of strategic commitment. Without these skills, the digital divide deepens existing disadvantages and undermines the chances of successful reintegration into a digital society.
Some European countries are showing what is possible. In Sweden, the digital platform Net Centre gives prisoners access to over 130 areas of learning. In Finland, the Smart Prison initiative equips cells with personal laptops connected to learning platforms such as Moodle, rehabilitation services, and e-books. These examples demonstrate that digital education in closed environments is not a distant ambition, but progress across Europe remains deeply uneven.
Voices from the workshop at the EAEA annual conference
EAEA facilitated a workshop with the presence of Benedetta Perego, an Italian criminal and human rights lawyer, president & co-founder of StraLi, and who works on detention conditions, fundamental rights, and the protection of marginalised communities. The workshop opened with a presentation on international human rights frameworks and the realities of education in prisons and detention centres. The discussion that followed was rich and brought in perspectives from across Europe. A participant from Finland highlighted a long tradition of prison learning dating back to the 1970s, rooted in the ideas of Paulo Freire and liberation education, and noted that politicians are increasingly recognising that educating prisoners saves public money in the long run. A participant from Slovakia described how recent policy changes have disconnected prisons from nearby education, making it harder to provide second-chance education. From Austria, a participant raised the taboo of illiteracy in prisons: if people hide their inability to read, they cannot follow classes, and the problem remains invisible.
The human dimension
Participants explored what education means for individuals in closed environments, not just as a pathway to employment, but as a source of dignity, identity, and self-worth. The conversation highlighted that education in detention is fundamentally about restoring a sense of agency. It is about giving people tools to do hard work on themselves, as one participant from Finland described it: educators act as mediators, and the real transformation happens when individuals are given the means to engage in their own development.
Building bridges to the community
How can adult education organisations, employers, probation services, and communities actively support people leaving closed environments? Participants discussed the need for better coordination between sectors, the importance of ensuring that qualifications earned inside carry the same value outside, and the persistent barrier of stigma. Prejudice among employers and broader society was identified as one of the most significant obstacles to reintegration. And the adult education sector, with its reach and its values, has both the opportunity and the responsibility to help address it.
Looking ahead
EAEA has been working on these themes through the DigiFusE project (Digital Fusion Environments), which aims to develop practical, evidence-based guidelines for successful digital education environments in closed institutions. The project was presented at the EAEA annual conference to the participating members.
For further information on the project and its resources, visit the DigiFusE website.
Text: Maria Gonçalves RibeiroPhotos: Image from Vaishnav Vharkat - Unsplash