Prison Education in Northern Ireland: Learning from our Paramilitary Past

Abstract

Abstract: Northern Ireland has historically battled with a varied and unique prison population. The release of ‘paramilitary prisoners’ under the Good Friday Agreement has forced prison policy makers to evaluate critically all their programmes including educational provision. This article argues that we should not simply shut the door on our paramilitary past, but should extract exemplary practices developed throughout those turbulent times, assimilating them within a contemporary educational model. This article aims to explore the historical ‘paramilitary’ educational paradigm suggesting ways in which the past can inform current developments, suitable for the changing prison population now resident within our custodial establishments.