Correctional Education in Turkey: An Historical Overview from Past to Present and Evaluation of Current Practices

Abstract

Prison education is covered within the scope of adult education for the reasons such as content, program, and target group. Incarcerated people, on the other hand, are one of the disadvantaged groups among adult learners that have been increasingly studied in recent years. The present research aims to analyze the current correctional education in Turkey with reference to practices in the past and to discuss the challenges in the implementation process through descriptive analysis. According to the results of the paper, the number of inmates who participate in the first and second-degree courses is fewer than the total population of illiterate prisoners and literate prisoners who have no primary school diploma. Moreover, the study reveals that it is an exemplary activity that the prisoners acquire a profession with vocational training while they are employed within the correctional settings. However, they have difficulty finding jobs after they are released. In addition, according to the findings of the study, prisoners are generally satisfied with the religious education activities going on inside the prisons. Nevertheless, there is a need to regulate the prison population in Turkey in order to make the inmates equally benefit from the educational, cultural, and recreational activities. Finally, it is significant to disseminate technology-enriched education programs to eliminate the challenges that arise in the implementation of educational activities particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.