A four-year-old Cambridge University initiative gives students and prisoners the opportunity to study law together and learn from each other’s experiences.
Spearheaded by Dr Amy Ludlow of the law faculty and Dr Ruth Armstrong of the university’s institute of criminology, the Learning Together project enables graduate criminology students and students at HMP Grendon to study together over eight weeks.
Similar initiatives have since begun in collaboration between about 20 universities and prisons throughout the country.
The students attend lectures, take part in group discussions and write essays, giving them credits towards higher education qualifications.
Ludlow explains that the project aims to widen participation in higher education and put academic research on education and social mobility into practice, to make a practical difference to the students.
