Distance learning breaches prison walls | Education | The Guardian

Distance learning breaches prison walls | Education | The Guardian:

"When I was sentenced to 10 years, I was determined that I'd get something out of it and that I'd educate myself to a level where I could do a job I wanted to, with young people, when I got out," says former inmate Chris Syrus.

Having done four years of a psychology degree by distance learning with the Open University (OU), Syrus managed to secure a job on his release. Though he never completed the qualification, he says that the skills and knowledge he gained over that extended period of study while inside gave him the confidence to establish his own company, Syrus Consultancy, which uses personal development and creative writing workshops to help young people avoid getting into crime.