Reintegration and Resettlement through Education: Lessons from the In2Sport Programme

Prisoner resettlement has become an increasingly important area of penal policy in England and Wales in recent years, yet practical efforts to support resettlement and reintegration into society post-release have been plagued by conceptual ambiguity which has led to the failure of many ‘through the gate’ initiatives. This chapter examines the In2Sport initiative, delivered at a Further Education College in Southwest England, which is a landmark programme designed to support resettlement by providing mainstream sport education opportunities for individuals with experiences of the criminal justice system (including custodial sentences). The chapter explores some of the key mechanisms involved in the delivery of In2Sport, highlighting how the comprehensive package of support services on offer, combined with a person-first, strengths-based approach to programme delivery, provides opportunities for participants to acquire an array of different ‘capitals’ that support resettlement and societal reintegration.