ABSTRACT
The profile of education in secure accommodation has waxed and waned over the 170 years since the introduction of reformatory schools for juvenile offenders. Political support for reformatory and later industrial schools can be understood as part of a wider state interest in education as a means of social reform. Probation homes became more frequently used as a residential option for children as the harsh disciplinary regimes of reformatories and borstals lost popularity. A key ideological driver has been the extent to which education is perceived to contribute to the reduction of re-offending by young people and in particular its perceived effectiveness as a strategy in comparison to more punitive or treatment-oriented approaches. Whether through bible study, puppet shows, magic lantern talks, outward bound expeditions, or democratic practices the efforts and aspirations of pioneering practitioners have continued to receive popular and political support because they align with a core principle of the youth justice project in England and Wales.
