Qiu, Kiki Maleika
Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning. Condi ions o p o iding adul
educa ion in co ec ional se ings
Eu opean jou nal o Resea ch on he Educa ion and Lea ning o Adul s 16 (2025) 3, S. 375-390
Quellenangabe/ Re e ence:
Qiu, Kiki Maleika: Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning. Condi ions o p o iding adul educa ion in
co ec ional se ings - In: Eu opean jou nal o Resea ch on he Educa ion and Lea ning o Adul s 16
(2025) 3, S. 375-390 - URN: u n:nbn:de:0111-pedocs-344468 - DOI: 10.25656/01:34446;
10.3384/ ela.2000-7426.5577
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Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning: Condi ions o
p o iding adul educa ion in co ec ional se ings
Kiki Maleika Qiu
S ockholm Uni e si y, Sweden ([email p o ec ed])
Abs ac
This s udy in es iga es he o ganisa ion o adul educa ion in Swedish p isons and
examines how educa ion is in eg a ed in o a highly egimen ed en i onmen . Using
documen s as empi ical da a, he s udy applies empla e analysis and he heo y o
p ac ice a chi ec u e o explo e he condi ions shaping educa ion in p ison. The indings
show ha secu i y conce ns impede s uden s’ lea ning oppo uni ies and de elopmen o
digi al li e acy. In addi ion, due o a lack o esou ces, p isone s’ igh o educa ion
becomes condi ioned, wi h some indi iduals excluded om pa icipa ion. A he same
ime, e o s a e made o u n he p ison in o an educa ional space h ough design
choices, employmen o non-p ison s a , and language use. Fu he mo e, pa icipa ion
in educa ion has ecen ly been linked o he oppo uni y o pa ole. This has he po en ial
o inc ease pa icipa ion and comple ion a es h ough coe cion, hus inc easingly
embedding educa ion in o he sys em o con ol and sanc ions ha is inhe en in p isons.
Keywo ds:
adul educa ion, p ison educa ion, co ec ional educa ion, sys em o con ol,
heo y o p ac ice a chi ec u e
In oduc ion
Wi hin many p ison sys ems, educa ion has been seen as an impo an pa o p isone s’
ehabili a ion (Behan, 2014; Halimi e al., 2017; No ek, 2019; Ro h e al., 2017), and he
impo ance o p ison educa ion has been acknowledged by in e na ional o ganisa ions
such as he Uni ed Na ions and he Council o Eu ope, wi h calls o encou age p isone s
o pa ake in educa ional p og ammes (Council o Eu ope, 2006; Uni ed Na ions O ice
on D ugs and C ime, 2015). Educa ion, among o he ehabili a i e measu es, can
acili a e ein eg a ion in o socie y; lead o be e p e equisi es o li ing a esponsible,
[376] Qiu
law-abiding li e; and imp o e employmen oppo uni ies. P e ious esea ch has shown
ha he p o ision o educa ion in p isons has had a posi i e impac on he indi idual, as
i can imp o e sel -es eem, sel -e icacy, and well-being. Th ough pa icipa ing in
educa ion, a sense o pu pose and agency can be achie ed, s imula ing new ways o
hinking and mi iga ing he nega i e e ec s o imp isonmen (Behan, 2014; Bha i, 2010;
Bo ill & Ande son, 2020; B osens e al., 2020; Cos elloe, 2003; Pani sides & Moussiou,
2019; Ro h e al., 2017; Tewksbu y & S engel, 2006). P o iding educa ion (and o he
ac i i ies) can lead o sa e and be e unc ioning daily ope a ions in p ison, as p isone s
a e occupied wi h o he ac i i ies and a e he e o e less likely o engage in misconduc
(B osens e al., 2015, 2020; Halimi e al., 2017). The alue o p o iding educa ion is also
discussed om a inancial pe spec i e, as educed ecidi ism leads o lowe public cos s
associa ed wi h c iminali y o wel a e allowances (Behan, 2014; B osens e al., 2015;
Ro h e al., 2016, 2017; Tewksbu y & S engel, 2006).
How educa ion in co ec ional se ings is o ganised and wha educa ional
p og ammes a e o e ed a ies g ea ly ac oss coun ies. P e ious s udies ha e explo ed
he p o ision o , o example, basic, academic, oca ional, and a educa ion (B osens e
al., 2015; Cos elloe & Wa ne , 2014; Jones e al., 2013; Lukaco a e al., 2018; Mine -
Romano , 2016; Tewksbu y & S engel, 2006; Wa s, 2010) wi h he majo i y o s udies
conduc ed in he English-speaking wo ld (Be glund e al., 2025). To he bes o a ailable
knowledge, he e is no s udy ha has examined he condi ions o p o iding adul
educa ion in Swedish p isons. This a icle aims a add essing his gap by explo ing how
educa ion is in eg a ed in co ec ional se ings in Sweden. Adul educa ion a la ge is
deeply embedded in Swedish socie y, and is cen al o educa ional and labou -ma ke
policies (Ande sson & Muh man, 2024; Laginde e al., 2013; Rubenson, 1997, 2002).
No dic p isons ha e also been p aised in e na ionally o hei humane ea men o
p isone s (Scha Smi h & Ugel ik, 2017). The p o ision o educa ion in p ison hus
akes i s depa u e in a seemingly a ou able socie al con ex ha none heless is amed
by p ocesses and secu i y conce ns ha a e inhe en o he p ison as an ins i u ion ac oss
he wo ld. In addi ion, p isone s o en ha e a b ie educa ional backg ound and s uggle
wi h low academic sel -e icacy o concen a ion di icul ies, which equi e mo e
a en ion and suppo (Bha i, 2010; Delae e e al., 2013; Halimi e al., 2017; Jones e al.,
2013; Skolinspek ionen, 2012). This s udy in es iga es how hese challenges and ensions
pe aining o p isons a e me and ansla ed in o he p o ision o adul educa ion in
co ec ional se ings.
The s udy’s aim is he e o e o examine he o ganisa ion o adul educa ion wi hin
Swedish p isons and explo e how educa ion is in eg a ed in o such a s ic ly egimen ed
en i onmen . P isons a e no p ima ily designed o he p o ision o educa ion, and a e
aced wi h unique condi ions no ound in he wide socie y. In o de o u n p isons in o
an educa ional se ing o adul s, di e en a angemen s ha e o be es ablished and
exis ing ones al e ed. This a icle add esses he ollowing esea ch ques ions:
1. How do egula ions and condi ions wi hin p isons shape oppo uni ies and
challenges o he p o ision o educa ion?
2. Wha kinds o a angemen s a e es ablished o u n p isons in o a place o adul
educa ion?
In o de o answe hese ques ions, documen s ou lining egula ions and condi ions o
p o iding educa ion in p ison a e analysed by d awing on he heo y o p ac ice
a chi ec u e (Edwa ds-G o es & G oo enboe , 2015; G oo enboe & Edwa ds-G o es,
2023; Kemmis e al., 2014; Mahon e al., 2017). The a icle is s uc u ed as ollows: i s ,
Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning [377]
a sho desc ip ion o municipal adul educa ion and i s implemen a ion in Swedish
p isons is p o ided. The nex sec ion p esen s he heo y o p ac ice a chi ec u e and how
i is used o examine he enabling and cons aining a angemen s aming he p o ision
o educa ion in p ison. This is ollowed by a sec ion on me hods. A e ha , he indings
a e p esen ed and hen discussed in ela ion o bo h he esea ch ques ions and he ension
ha can a ise when in eg a ing educa ion in o a se ing ha p ima ily se es co ec ional
a he han pedagogical pu poses. The a icle ends wi h a conclusion o e ing sugges ions
o u he esea ch.
Municipal adul educa ion in Swedish p isons
Municipal adul educa ion (kom ux) is a ailable, ee o cha ge, o all esiden s o Sweden
who a e o e he age o (in mos cases) 20. They can ake compulso y, uppe -seconda y,
and oca ional cou ses as well as Swedish o non-na i e speake s a one o he schools
in hei municipali y. In 2023, a ound 363000 s uden s we e en olled in municipal adul
educa ion, which was app oxima ely he same numbe o s uden s en olled in uppe
seconda y school (Skol e ke , 2024a, 2024b). P isone s ha e he oppo uni y o s udy
municipal adul educa ion while inca ce a ed h ough lea ning cen es ha each p ison,
ega dless o i s secu i y class, uns on i s p emises. The cou ses and he diploma ha is
ea ned a e equi alen o hose ea ned in he wide socie y.
Teaching in p isons is conduc ed in one-on-one o ma , wi h e e y s uden ollowing
hei own indi idual s udy plan. The eache s a e employed a one p ison acili y bu can
each bo h in pe son and in dis ance mode, meaning ha a s uden can be se ing hei
sen ence a ano he acili y han whe e he eache is loca ed. In o de o a p isone o be
able o s udy a he lea ning cen e, an assessmen needs o be made, esul ing in a decision
o whe he o no hey a e eligible o s udies (K iminal å den, 2005, 2007b; KVFS
2011:1). In 2024, 3566 p isone s had s a ed some kind o educa ion, which co esponds
o 20% o all p isone s (K iminal å den, 2025).
Theo e ical amewo k
The s udy d aws on he heo y o p ac ice a chi ec u e (Edwa ds-G o es & G oo enboe ,
2015; G oo enboe & Edwa ds-G o es, 2023; Kemmis e al., 2014; Mahon e al., 2017),
which will be used as a lens o examine egula ions and condi ions ha shape he
p o ision o educa ion. The heo y has p e iously been applied in examining educa ional
p ac ices in a ious con ex s, such as ea ly childhood educa ion (Salamon e al., 2016),
English educa ion (Edwa ds-G o es & G oo enboe , 2015), p o essional lea ning
(Kemmis e al., 2014) and s udy ci cles o mig an s (Pas uho e al., 2021). Acco ding
o he a ailable knowledge, howe e , he heo y o p ac ice a chi ec u e has no ye been
applied in examining educa ion in co ec ional se ings. Using his heo y as a lens allows
o an explo a ion o he ensions, challenges, and possibili ies ha a ise om p isons
being he se ing o educa ional p ac ices. The p o ision o educa ion in p ison has o
comply wi h and adap o a angemen s pe aining o he p ison a la ge, while new
a angemen s simul aneously need o be c ea ed in o de o make i possible o p isone s
o s udy while inca ce a ed. Toge he , he di e en ypes o a angemen s a e e med
p ac ice a chi ec u e and hold a pa icula p ac ice in place. The p ac ice is he e o e
enmeshed in hese a angemen s and canno exis wi hou hem (Kemmis e al., 2014).
Wi hin he heo y, h ee di e en ypes o a angemen s can be iden i ied ha oge he
shape he sayings, doings, and ela ings:
[378] Qiu
1. Cul u al-discu si e a angemen s p e igu e he sayings and a e loca ed in he
seman ic space h ough he medium o language. They a ec wha can be said
and hough in ela ion o desc ibing, in e p e ing, pe o ming, o jus i ying he
p o ision o educa ion in p ison.
2. Ma e ial-economic a angemen s shape he doings and ake place in he
physical and ma e ial wo ld. These a angemen s p econdi ion whe e, when, and
how p isone s and eache s can mee and engage in educa ion. They a e
dependen on he esou ces dis ibu ed o pedagogical s a , equipmen , and
ma e ial, as well as he p ison layou and schedules.
3. Social-poli ical a angemen s shape how people can ela e o one ano he and
non-human objec s in he social space linked o powe and solida i y (Kemmis e
al., 2014). The mee ing be ween eache and s uden , usually aking place ou side
p isons, is inse ed in o he dynamic o he p ison con ex wi h i s adi ionally
s ic dis inc ion be ween us and hem (D ake, 2011).
These a angemen s enable and cons ain how a p ac ice can un old, and a e speci ic o
he si e whe e i akes place (G oo enboe & Edwa ds-G o es, 2023; Kemmis e al.,
2014). Applying he heo y o p ac ice a chi ec u e in his s udy makes i possible o
iden i y hose speci ic cul u al-discu si e, ma e ial-economic, and social-poli ical
a angemen s ha p econdi ion he p o ision o educa ion in p isons. I p o ides a deepe
unde s anding o how educa ional and co ec ional a angemen s a e en angled and a ec
he p o ision o educa ion in he seman ic, physical and ma e ial, and social space.
Me hod
In his s udy, ele an documen s ega ding he o ganisa ion o educa ion in p ison we e
collec ed and analysed using empla e analysis (B ooks e al., 2015; King, 2012). The
documen selec ion was in o med by he websi e o he Swedish P ison and P oba ion
Se ice (K iminal å den), whe e laws, o dinances, and egula ions as well as ex e nal
and in e nal s ee ing documen s a e lis ed. Fo his s udy, he Ac on Imp isonmen (SFS
2010:610), O dinance on P ison (SFS 2010:2010), O dinance on Adul Educa ion (SFS
2011:1108), Cu iculum o Municipal Adul Educa ion (SKOLFS, 2022), and
app op ia ion di ec ions ( egle ingsb e ) we e iden i ied as ele an o answe ing he
esea ch ques ions. Addi ional documen s, collec ed by con ac ing he P ison and
P oba ion Se ice, included handbooks on educa ion, memos, o icial decisions, and
newspape a icles. These, as well as publicly a ailable annual epo s, we e included in
he analysis. The chosen documen s desc ibe educa ion in p ison in a de ailed way, hus
p o iding insigh in o he condi ions shaping educa ion om di e en angles.
The chosen ime ame was 2007 o 2023 as he i s uni o m guidelines on adul
educa ion o he P ison and P oba ion Se ice in he o m o a handbook we e issued in
2007. This was also he yea ha was dedica ed o implemen ing lea ning cen es in all
p isons, which esemble how adul educa ion is o ganised oday in e ms o , o example,
he sole o ganise in cha ge o municipal adul educa ion in p ison, app o al o assess,
and supe ision by he Na ional Agency o Educa ion.
The documen s we e analysed ollowing a empla e analysis wi hin a quali a i e
pa adigm (B aun & Cla ke, 2019; King, 2012). The analysis was conduc ed in an i e a i e
manne . In he beginning, he ma e ial was ead h ough, and ele an pa s o he esea ch
ques ions we e highligh ed, such as desc ip ions o how educa ion in p ison is o ganised,
challenges ha p isons ha e aced when p o iding educa ion, and any shi s pe aining o

Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning [379]
educa ion ha ha e occu ed. In he case o he annual epo s, he ocus was on he
In oduc ion o he Di ec o Gene al in o de o ge a mo e gene al o e iew o each yea ;
hen, mo e speci ically, he chap e on occupa ional ac i i ies in p ison was analysed. The
ma e ial was coded and p elimina y hemes we e gene a ed and, in u n, we e o ganised
in a empla e s uc u e. The ollowing is an example o an ini ial empla e:
1. P isons as a place o adul educa ion
1.1 Being di e en om p ison
1.1.1 Teache s’ wea ing ci ilian clo hing
1.2 Being di e en om school
1.2.1 Language use
1.2.2 In e io design
The ini ial empla es and hemes we e successi ely e ined by analysing mo e documen s,
going h ough he codes and hemes epea edly, and es ing ou heo e ical ideas in o de
o u he analyse he ma e ial. New ways o o ganising he da a eme ged du ing he
w i ing p ocess, which led o u he modi ica ions such as mo ing codes o di e en
hemes and enaming he hemes o cap u e hei meaning in a mo e poignan way. Fo
example, he heme ‘1.2.1 Language use’ as shown in he example o he ini ial empla e
abo e was e ined o he inal heme ‘1.2.1 Becoming Pa o he Mains eam Adul
Educa ion Landscape’, which is p esen ed in he Findings sec ion o his a icle. The
enaming o he heme deepens i by no only cap u ing he language and discou se
su ounding educa ion in p ison bu also emphasising he pu pose and consequences o
he language used. He e, he pu pose is o become pa o he mains eam adul educa ion
landscape and discou se, which, in u n, is in ended o impac he ac o s and he p ac ice.
The inal hemes ha we e gene a ed h ough i e a i ely e ining he empla es and
hemes a e p esen ed in he ollowing Findings sec ion, whe e he heo y o p ac ice
a chi ec u e se es as a heo e ical pe spec i e o illumina e how a angemen s exis in
di e en ealms ha oge he bo h enable and cons ain p ac ice.
Findings
In he ollowing, i e hemes a e p esen ed: Becoming pa o he mains eam adul
educa ion landscape, O e a ching secu i y conce ns, Los igh s and oppo uni ies,
Inc eased s ee ing, and Tu ning p isons in o a place o adul lea ning. Wi hin hese
hemes, he cul u al-discu si e, ma e ial-economic, and social-poli ical a angemen s ha
shape he p o ision o educa ion a e explo ed. The a angemen s a e analysed in e ms o
how hey a ec he ways one can speak abou educa ion in p ison, wha o m educa ion
can ake in p ac ice, and how eache s and s uden s can ela e o each o he .
The quo es p esen ed below we e o iginally in Swedish and ha e been ansla ed by
he au ho .
Becoming pa o he mains eam adul educa ion landscape
The adul educa ion p o ided in p isons is desc ibed as ollows in he 2007 handbook on
educa ion: ‘The ac i i ies should, as a as possible, mimic he adul educa ion a ailable
in he wide socie y. Adul educa ion in p ison should he e o e no be made “p ison-
speci ic”’ (K iminal å den, 2007c, p. 6; au ho 's ansla ion). Despi e aking place in
p ison, he educa ion p o ided should be simila o ha ound ou side p ison. Adul
[380] Qiu
educa ion eaches ou o hose who a e physically sepa a ed om o he ci izens; a ac ,
howe e , which should no a ec he educa ional o m and con en . The simila i y o
municipal adul educa ion p o ided wi hin and ou side p isons is also ma ked by
epealing he O dinance on Educa ion in P ison (SFS 2007:152) and eplacing i wi h he
O dinance on Municipal Adul Educa ion (SFS 2011:1108), hus including educa ion ha
akes place in p ison in he discou se on adul educa ion in gene al. This a angemen
enables educa ion in p ison and he in ol ed ac o s o s eng hen hei posi ion and
p esen hemsel es as an in eg al pa o he adul educa ion landscape in Sweden.
Educa ion in p ison has also been linked o li elong lea ning. In he p e ace o he
2007 handbook on educa ion i is s a ed: ‘Educa ion mus be p o ided in ways ha make
i possible o s udy no ma e whe e one is loca ed. The e o e, educa ion mus be made
a ailable o people h oughou hei li es, ega dless o hei li e si ua ion’
(K iminal å den, 2007c, p. 2; au ho 's ansla ion). The need o con inuously lea n –
ega dless o whe e one is loca ed physically, how old one is o wha kind o si ua ion
one is in – is emphasised. Consequen ly, educa ion in p ison has o be made a ailable o
p isone s. Placing educa ion in p ison in he con ex o li elong lea ning ca ies wi h i
he oppo uni y o p isone s o pa icipa e, bu simul aneously implies a esponsibili y o
do so. I is now possible, and e en equi ed, o pa icipa e in educa ion e en in a di icul
li e si ua ion, which imp isonmen o en is. The emphasis on he esponsible adul lea ne
can also be ound in he 2011 handbook on educa ion, which s esses he impo ance o
dis inguishing educa ion in p ison om school o child en and eenage s. Di e en
language should be used when alking abou educa ion in p ison, as ce ain e ms a e
deemed inapp op ia e o desc ibing, pe o ming, in e p e ing, o jus i ying he
educa ional p ac ice aking place (Kemmis e al., 2014). Ins ead o using he wo d ‘skola
[school]’, he e m ‘lä cen um [lea ning cen e]’ should be used (K iminal å den, 2011b,
2018b) and he e m ele is exchanged o he e m s ude ande:
S uden : P isone s en olled in adul educa ion wi hin he P ison and P oba ion Se ice. The
e m is used in e e yday wo k (ins ead o he legal e m ele ound in laws and egula ions
e c.) o emphasise ha s udying as an adul di e s om s udying in compulso y school.
(K iminal å den, 2018b, p. 13; au ho 's ansla ion)
Bo h e ms ele and s ude ande desc ibe someone who is s udying. In Swedish, he e m
ele is mo e commonly associa ed wi h child en in compulso y school a he han adul s.
Howe e , in o icial documen s such as he Cu iculum o Municipal Adul Educa ion,
adul s uden s a e also e e ed o as ele as i is he o icial legal e m. While he p o ision
o educa ion in he P ison and P oba ion Se ice is s ee ed by egula ions ela ed o
municipal adul educa ion, hey ha e made he decision o a oid he e m ele in hei
e e yday p ac ices. Ins ead, hey use he e m s ude ande when alking abou educa ion
and hei s uden s in o de o emphasise ha he s uden s a e adul lea ne s. Embedding
hese e ms in he o icial handbook on educa ion es ablishes a sha ed language and
c ea es an image o who he s uden s a e, wha demands can be made, and how o in e ac
wi h hem. This cul u al-discu si e a angemen shapes he sayings (and hinkings) in
ela ion o educa ion o hose in ol ed in he p ac ice, which, in u n, can a ec he
doings. Fo example, p isone s may be mo e mo i a ed o s a s udying: as many ha e
p e iously had nega i e school expe iences, he use o di e en e minology may mi iga e
hei a e sion o educa ion (K iminal å den, 2011b). Simul aneously, eache s migh also
po en ially adop di e en ways o hinking and ac ing because o he es ablished sha ed
language o desc ibing he p ac ice and i s pa icipan s.
Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning [381]
O e a ching secu i y conce ns
The ma e ial a angemen s in p ison o p o iding educa ion all unde he o e a ching
objec i e o main aining secu i y. Secu i y issues ha e o be conside ed, and a e ypically
no a pa o o he educa ional p ac ices in he same way. In o he educa ional p ac ices,
secu i y issues may conce n keeping o he s ou o he school a he han making su e ha
he s uden s hemsel es a e es ic ed in eaching ou o he ou side wo ld. Secu i y
conce ns in p isons a ec bo h he educa ional p ac ices wi hin he lea ning cen es and
logis ical ope a ions su ounding he educa ion ha pose signi ican challenges,
especially in high-secu i y p isons (K iminal å den, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024). Mo ing
p isone s o and om he lea ning cen e can be di icul , as p ison o ice s ha e o
accompany s uden s in he highe -secu i y classes (K iminal å den, 2012, 2013).
Addi ionally, some p isone s ha e o be sepa a ed om each o he as hey canno a end
he lea ning cen e simul aneously. As a esul , some s uden s ha e ewe hou s o s udy
a he lea ning cen e and he numbe o s uden s pe s udy session has been educed, hus
no u ilising he en i e capaci y o he lea ning cen e (K iminal å den, 2024). The
ma e ial a angemen s based on secu i y conce ns limi how s uden s can access places
o lea ning, i.e. he lea ning cen e, whe e hey can s udy, p og ess in hei s udies, and
mee wi h hei eache . He e, he p ison con ex clashes wi h he s a ed equi emen s in
he Cu iculum o Municipal Adul Educa ion ega ding lexibili y: ‘Flexibili y should
always be aimed o in he p o ision o educa ion. This includes he loca ion o he
educa ion, ime, pace o s udy, mode o s udy and o ms o lea ning’ (SKOLFS, 2022, p.
2; au ho 's ansla ion). The aim o lexibili y, as s a ed in he Cu iculum, and he way
he p ison can ansla e i s elemen s in o he p ison con ex a e es ic ed. The p o ision
o educa ion has o be adap ed o he necessa y in e nal ou ines, which a e no di ec ly
linked o he educa ion i sel bu a he o secu i y and logis ics. This, in u n, is also
closely connec ed o he s a ha a e a ailable o o e see he p isone s. The secu i y issue
has been exace ba ed by he g owing numbe o p isone s in ecen yea s:
Occupancy a es in p isons and jails ha e been e y high h oughou he yea [...] P o iding
meaning ul ac i i ies o p isone s is c ucial o main aining secu i y, especially in a high
occupancy si ua ion. A he same ime, p o iding occupa ional ac i i ies o all p isone s is
a g owing challenge. (K iminal å den, 2020, p. 1; au ho 's ansla ion)
The impo ance o occupa ional ac i i ies is emphasised in ela ion o bo h ehabili a ion
and i s impo ance o main aining secu i y in he p ison day- o-day. In o de o mee he
educa ional needs o p isone s, s uden in ake needs o inc ease alongside he g owing
popula ion. This can p o e challenging, as i would en ail he ec ui men o mo e eache s
on op o he al eady exis ing di icul y in ec ui ing s a (K iminal å den, 2013, 2018a,
2019a, 2024) as well as c ea ing mo e physical spaces o eaching and lea ning
(K iminal å den, 2011a). To enable all p isone s o s udy, ma e ial-economic
a angemen s need o be es ablished by alloca ing esou ces o s a and in as uc u e in
line wi h he g owing numbe o p isone s.
Los igh s and oppo uni ies
How inca ce a ed indi iduals can ela e o educa ion is enabled and cons ained by social-
poli ical a angemen s ha exis wi hin p isons. While educa ion can be made obliga o y
(see also he heme Inc eased S ee ing), he igh o educa ion does no exis in he p ison
con ex : ‘The e is no igh o educa ion o p isone s o indi iduals in jails. This di e s
[382] Qiu
om he wide socie y, whe e he igh o educa ion h ough municipal adul educa ion is
mo e a - eaching’ (K iminal å den, 2018b, p. 14; au ho 's ansla ion). This sugges s an
imbalance be ween p isone s’ obliga ions, esponsibili ies, and igh s. While he
indi idual is gi en he esponsibili y o engage in li elong lea ning, whe eby pa icipa ion
can be made obliga o y o p isone s, p isone s hemsel es a e no in a posi ion o
uncondi ionally exe cise hei igh o educa ion. Fo ins ance, hose who wan o s udy
in o de o a oid p ison wo k should no ake up s udy spo s (K iminal å den, 2008). The
igh o educa ion becomes condi ional, wi h indi idual easonings ma e ing less, and
choosing educa ion as a ‘lesse e il’ compa ed o p ison wo k is no a alid eason. The
decision as o whe he o no someone can pa icipa e in educa ion is made by someone
o he han he a ec ed indi idual. This e lec s he powe imbalance p esen in
co ec ional se ings, and is no ound in he same way when i comes o municipal adul
educa ion ou side p isons, whe e admission is much mo e pe missi e.
Due o limi ed esou ces, p isons p io i ise indi iduals unde age 21 and hose
wi hou a high school diploma, which excludes hose who do no i he c i e ia o who
wan o s udy some hing o he han municipal adul educa ion. P e iously, i was possible
o p isone s o s udy a uni e si ies in dis ance mode. Howe e , hese s udies we e
o icially discon inued in 2019 as in e ne access has o be con inuously moni o ed by
s a , which is esou ce-in ensi e, in o de o p e en illegi ima e communica ion
(K iminal å den, 2010a, 2010b, 2011b, 2013, 2014a, 2019b). The lack o ma e ial-
economic a angemen s ha enable s uden s o s udy on uni e si y le el also a ec s he
ela ings as doings and ela ings ‘hang oge he ’ (Kemmis e al., 2014). S uden s canno
ela e o educa ion aking place ou side p isons and he people and objec s associa ed wi h
i . I can also esul in social consequences (Mahon e al., 2017), whe e s uden s a e
excluded om u u e possibili ies such as employmen in ields whe e highe educa ion
is equi ed.
The p ohibi ion o in e ne access a ec s no only he possibili y o uni e si y
s udies bu also how he p o ision o exis ing municipal adul educa ion can un old. The
Cu iculum o Municipal Adul Educa ion s a es ha all s uden s ‘should be gi en he
oppo uni y o de elop hei abili y o use digi al echnologies’ (SKOLFS, 2022, p. 3;
au ho 's ansla ion). Wi hin Swedish p isons, howe e , p isone s a e no allowed o use
he in e ne o o he digi al ools in he same way as hose ou side p isons can. In hei
annual epo o 2017, he P ison and P oba ion Se ice men ions he di icul y o li ing
up o he equi emen s o he Na ional Agency o Educa ion:
This poses challenges o he P ison and P oba ion Se ice, since secu i y issues ha e o be
aken in o accoun as p isone s a e no allowed o communica e wi h o he s o he ou side
wo ld h ough he in e ne . A he same ime, lea ning equi es aining in how o sea ch o
in o ma ion, e alua e sou ces, p og amming and mo e, as well as suppo in eaching
h ough audio, isual and in e ac i e exe cises. (K iminal å den, 2018a, p. 44; au ho 's
ansla ion)
The ma e ial-economic a angemen s ha enable he de elopmen o digi al li e acy do
no exis , as he e is no access o he in e ne . This p e en s s uden s om lea ning o
na iga e and c i ically e alua e he b oad ange o in o ma ion and sou ces a ailable in
he digi al space. P isone s hus become excluded om bo h he physical and digi al
spaces o lea ning. They become passi e ecipien s o he lea ning oppo uni ies and
p og ammes which ha e been made a ailable o hem and which we e deemed wo hy o
ecei ing esou ces. The possibili y o o e ing a wide a ie y o educa ional
oppo uni ies has also been u he es ic ed o he u u e. I can be seen ha unding o
educa ion in p ison has al eady dec eased, as no ed in he yea ly alloca ions ecei ed by
Tu ning p isons in o a place o lea ning [389]
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