Level 1 Law now an option for prison learners

Education can be a transformative and enriching experience which also improves the life chances of offenders on their release from prison. Students say that OU study offers them a new focus and self-image, as well as helping to overcome boredom and loneliness during their imprisonment. The Law degree has always been a popular choice for students in prison but has stopped being available due to the complexity of making digital materials accessible in prisons.

Starting this October, students in secure environments have the opportunity to study level 1 Law (W101 and W102 modules) with The Open University Law School.

This is a huge step in the right direction as there is a lot of interest in prisons from students wanting to complete a Law degree. These modules have not been available to students in secure environments until now because of the challenges of making the digital materials available in an offline format which meets the security requirements. The module teams, in consultation with the Students in Secure Environments Team, have worked hard to deliver adapted activities. These are of a very high quality and we hope this will enable the students who have started their studies in October 2018 to achieve great results.

Ruth McFarlane
Senior Manager, OU’s Students in Secure Environments Team

W101 is a key introductory module which considers the nature and role of the law, while W102 considers a range of key legal principles and concepts and the role they play in modern society.

This will be the first time that modules which were previously presented entirely online have been converted into a format suitable for students to study in secure environments. The module teams would like to acknowledge the hard work from all involved in helping to make this happen.