Degrees of Freedom: Prison Education at The Open University - 50 Years

In this review of Degrees of Freedom: Prison Education at The Open University, the book is recommended for readers interested in how higher education can reshape lives inside prisons. The single biggest reason to buy is its combination of firsthand testimony and reflective analysis: ex-prisoners describe personal change alongside clear contextual commentary on five decades of provision. This review finds the volume both a human record and an academic reflection, useful to educators, policy makers and anyone seeking an evidence-informed perspective on rehabilitation through learning.

Key Features

• First authoritative history: The book traces fifty years of The Open University in prisons, giving readers a long view of how provision evolved over time and why it matters.
• Personal testimony: Vivid accounts from ex-prisoners provide direct insight into how access to higher education affected identity, purpose and chances after release.
• Academic analysis: Scholarly chapters situate individual stories within wider debates on rehabilitation, policy and access to learning in custodial settings.
• Reflective vignettes: Short reflective pieces complement longer chapters and help illustrate everyday classroom and institutional dynamics in prisons.
• Anniversary framing: Published for The Open Universitys 50th anniversary, the book is both commemorative and critically reflective about future directions.

Who It's For

This book is well suited to educators, prison reform advocates and social science readers who want evidence and testimony about how higher education operates inside custody. Librarians, course designers and policy researchers will find the mixture of lived experience and analysis particularly useful when considering program design or evaluation.

Readers seeking a how-to manual for prison teaching or a narrowly partisan polemic should look elsewhere; this volume is reflective and documentary rather than a practical classroom toolkit or an advocacy tract focused solely on campaigning rhetoric.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Combines personal narratives with analysis, offering a rounded view of educational impact.
• Marks a significant institutional milestone, giving useful historical perspective.
• Reflective vignettes make complex issues accessible without losing analytical depth.

Cons

• Not a step-by-step teaching guide, so practical details for classroom delivery are limited.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Degrees of Freedom is a thoughtful, well rounded record of five decades of prison education at The Open University that balances firsthand testimony with academic framing. It is recommended for professionals and readers wanting to understand the rehabilitative potential of higher education in custody and represents strong value for anyone researching policy, program history or lived experience in prison learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include ex-prisoner stories?
Yes, it features vivid personal testimonies from people whose lives were changed by studying with The Open University in prison.

Is this a practical teaching manual?
No, the book focuses on history, testimony and analysis rather than step-by-step teaching methods.

Who edited the volume?
The book is edited by Rod Earle and James Mehigan and framed around the universities fifty year engagement with prisons.