JOB cuts are feared in prison education services at HMP Risley and HMP Thorn Cross.

Prisoner education provider Novus has announced that 176 roles across 27 jails in the north of England – including Warrington's two prisons – are at risk.

The company proposes to retain 62 full-time equivalent roles, meaning that more than 100 posts are set to be lost across the affected facilities.

Warrington Guardian: HMP Yoi Thorne cross

HMP Thorn Cross

The University and College Union has written to the Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke, urging him to intervene over plans which it says would have a 'serious impact on learning opportunities for offenders' – with prisoners who do not take part in education programmes whilst inside being three time more likely to reoffend.

Redundancies have been blamed on a drop in the value of new prison education contracts, which were introduced at the start of April.

Paul Cottrell, the UCU's acting general secretary, said: "These job losses would be hugely damaging at a time when the sector is already struggling to recruit and retain staff.

"You cannot make cuts of this scale and not impact on the education and opportunities available to offenders.

"This is a particularly worrying move, given that reports of assault and self-harm in prisons are at record levels.

"We are calling on the Secretary of State to personally intervene, both to encourage Novus to reconsider these cuts and role out compulsory job losses and to properly examine the impact of contract changes on prison education overall."

But Novus told the Warrington Guardian that it was investing £8million in new digital education technology, which would 'provide additional support to prisoners to achieve their goals, progress into work and reduce reoffending'.

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Managing director Peter Cox added: "We acknowledge that this change will impact the number of staff needed, all of whom have been offered voluntary redundancy and support.

"Novus will continue to employ a highly-skilled and dedicated workforce of more than 2,000 colleagues, delivering innovative high-quality education, training and employment opportunities to adults and young people in UK prisons.

"We remain passionate about what we do – creating the foundations for change – and I'm confident that these changes mean we will continue to focus on improving rehabilitative outcomes for our learners that will benefit society across the 53 prisons that we work within."