Abstract

This thesis explores the extent of rationales for developmental impacts of
personality disordered offenders’ engagement in education. The study
investigates the educational experiences of a sample of twelve personality
disordered offenders receiving interventions in a high secure hospital unit.
Engaging offenders in education in prison is challenging as many
offenders have apprehensions, apprehensions about joining education
which stem from previous negative educational experiences. Many
offenders share a common profile, they come from disadvantaged
backgrounds, fail to engage at school and leave education with low levels
of attainment and poor personal and social skills. Lack of skills and
qualifications often leads to a pattern of repeat offending. The combination
of previous experiences, offending histories and mental disorder pose
particular problems for personality disordered offenders in relation to their
engagement in education. A qualitative case study research method is
employed to understand the educational experiences of the twelve
participants, which are compared to existing theories on offender
education. The findings of this research reveal that in addition to previous
learning experiences, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties create
barriers to learning. In particular mental health issues are found to
negatively influence personality disordered offenders’ engagement in
education. Although there are barriers that negatively impact on learning
other factors are identified as encouraging engagement in education. The
reason why individuals start education is not necessarily the reason why
they continue. Therefore factors that initially engage offenders in
education as well as factors that maintain offenders’ continued
engagement in education are explored. Whilst there are some interrelating
factors that engage offenders in initial and continued education additional
factors are also realised. Engaging personality disordered offenders in
education is important as education has the power to enrich, change and
develop people (Meek et al, 2012). The findings determine that as well as
developing academically, the outcomes of personality disordered
offenders’ continued engagement in education are increased social skills
and self-awareness, the greatest agent for change. The final conclusions
indicate that personality disordered offenders’ engagement in education
can be explained through the concept of ‘gradualness’.