Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga

Minister of Corrections

13 August 2015

Secure online learning for prisoners

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today attended the launch of Secure Online Learning for prisoners at Rimutaka Prison.

Secure Online Learning (SOL) will be implemented nationwide after a successful six-month pilot with young prisoners at Christchurch Men’s Prison.

It allows carefully selected prisoners to securely access 12 educational websites. No other websites are available to them.

SOL will replace paper based-assessment and learning processes which are prone to inaccuracies.

“Many education and training providers are moving to online delivery and employers are increasingly seeking employees with basic IT skills,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

“Prisoners need to be confident working in an online environment. Educational achievement is important and the reality for many prisoners is that they will reach their first academic milestone in prison.

“By giving more prisoners access to programmes that improve their literacy and numeracy skills, they can gain qualifications and participate meaningfully in rehabilitative programmes and employment training.

“We know that individuals who have a job are less likely to commit offences so by increasing the skills prisoners have on release, we will increase their chances of getting a job,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

SOL will be implemented nationwide by June 2017.

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