The “mandatory” right to education as means of reintegration into society

Abstract

Internationally, human rights law guarantees a universal right to education. Education and training of inmates help reduce the social costs of crime. People outside of the prison environment have the luxury, or better yet freedom, of choosing the reason for pursuing a form of education or training, whilst for prisoners it is predetermined. Given that its final scope is the reintegration of prisoners into society as full functioning citizens, the right to education becomes an obligation to the state to guarantee the access to the resources available. Thus, the complexity of this right can be better seen in the prison environment, as its final purpose is to ensure that discipline and order are maintained in society.