Mark O'Mahony's Avatar

Mark O'Mahony

@themarkages

Policy Manager at Prisoners' Education Trust @prisonersed.bsky.social‬ and youth club trustee. Previously children's social care policy. Drinks coffee, eats cake, sings in choirs, usually in that order.

117
Followers
263
Following
5
Posts
14.08.2024
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Mark O'Mahony @themarkages

Preview
The Howard League | New figures reveal continued failure of prisons holding children The continued failure of prisons holding children is laid bare today (Monday 2 March) as figures reveal that boys are typically being kept in their cells for about 20 hours a day and getting much less than 15 hours of education per week.

New figures show that children in prison are still being failed - locked in their cells for most of the day, their legal right to education breached routinely.

Later this year the government will set out its plans for improving standards. It's a chance for a total reset that puts education first.

02.03.2026 15:35 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

If you have lived experience of prison education, why not join our drop in on 17th March to find out more about this opportunity? More info on the link below. Hopefully see you there!

20.02.2026 10:06 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Post image

#CareDay

20.02.2026 10:04 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Handwritten postcard that reads: "This course has helped me a lot in prison, it has helped with my purpose, focus, and helped me develop my confidence in my own ability. I now have the confidence I can move to my next goal of completing AAT Accounting and know I will succeed."

Handwritten postcard that reads: "This course has helped me a lot in prison, it has helped with my purpose, focus, and helped me develop my confidence in my own ability. I now have the confidence I can move to my next goal of completing AAT Accounting and know I will succeed."

We always love getting postcards from learners letting us know how they're getting on with their course.

Barry is taking his Bookkeeping Certificate with PET - the start of his journey to becoming a freelance accountant.

23.01.2026 08:35 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Literacy Behind Bars: a Silent Crisis We Can’t Ignore - P... More than half of people in UK prisons cannot read beyond primary-school level. Writing exclusively for Chamber UK, Paul Davies says that until we treat literacy as central to sentencing reform, rehab...

"We must properly fund prison education. Some institutions face cuts of up to 60% in their education provision. That’s not just short-sighted, it’s self-defeating."

Very good article on the importance of literacy and prison education by @pauldaviesmp.bsky.social.

politicsuk.com/literacy-beh...

21.01.2026 09:43 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Employment in London after prison The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee has published its report highlighting the challenges prison leavers face in accessing employment, and the impact this has on London’s economy.

The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee has published a report highlighting the challenges people face finding work after prison, and the impact this has on London’s economy.

Read our evidence which features in the report here: https://ow.ly/OmvW50XVYcY

https://ow.ly/qmOH50XVYe0

13.01.2026 13:01 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Prison education: it’s time to bridge the digital divide Cassie Edmiston, Head of Fundraising and External Affairs at Prisoners' Education Trust, sets out how the government can boost digital learning in prisons.

Prison education: it’s time to bridge the digital divide Cassie Edmiston, Head of Fundraising and External Affairs at @prisonersed.bsky.social , sets out how the government can boost digital learning in prisons.
www.russellwebster.com/prison-educa...

11.12.2025 06:09 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
Handwritten quote that reads: "I cannot thank PET enough for giving me a great opportunity. I’m super grateful and await to see what the future will present to me in the teaching field in prisons. You are changing lives and I am definitely one of them."

Handwritten quote that reads: "I cannot thank PET enough for giving me a great opportunity. I’m super grateful and await to see what the future will present to me in the teaching field in prisons. You are changing lives and I am definitely one of them."

Education can be the key to unlocking a brighter future for someone in prison. Your support means more learners like Robin can lay the foundations for a new career.

Support our Big Give #ChristmasChallenge to have your donation doubled today: https://bit.ly/PET-BigGive-2

04.12.2025 08:30 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Laying foundations, building futures – Big Give PET provides distance learning courses and advice and guidance to people in prison. These courses help learners lay the foundations …

Our Big Give #ChristmasChallenge is now live! This Christmas, we hope to raise just over £45,000 to fund 66 distance learning courses for people in prison.

From today, any donation made to PET via the Big Give website will be DOUBLED.

https://bit.ly/PET-BigGive-2

02.12.2025 12:00 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
Prospectus front cover and contents page

Prospectus front cover and contents page

Introducing our 2026–2027 Course Prospectus – PET's most forward-looking and accessible edition yet!

The prospectus includes cutting-edge courses on AI and environmental sustainability, as well as new digital learning opportunities.

Read it here: prisonerseducation.org.uk/2025/12/new-...

02.12.2025 09:39 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

It is outrageous that all YOIs in England are delivering less than children's legally mandated 15 hours education a week.

When we hold young people in detention, we must give them the building blocks for a better future. The Government must put education first, for all young people in custody.

24.11.2025 11:53 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Join The Movement Join The Movement “The way individuals are treated in prison affects their chances of rehabilitation in tangible and intangible ways. Tangibly, access to opportunities like training courses, prison jobs and behaviour management programmes affects offenders’ ability to cope without reoffending when they leave prison. Intangibly, the extent to which prisoners believe they are treated fairly…

We are joining the Zahid Mubarek Trust’s Movement for Race Equality in Prisons.

We support their call for renewed ambition, action and accountability on race equality across the prison system.

Find out more about the movement and how to join here ⬇️

17.11.2025 08:30 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
‘Dire’ prison conditions putting rehabilitation and reoffending reduction ‘at risk’, Justice Committee warns - Committees - UK Parliament Prison overcrowding, staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure is having a ‘profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation’, a new report published today (No...

The Justice Committee's new report highlights the dire state our prisons are in. The government needs to set out an ambitious plan to provide consistent access to high-quality education and training. The first step should be reversing cuts to budgets that will only make a bad situation worse.

14.11.2025 10:01 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Great to see the #JusticeSelectCommittee highlighting some of the wider benefits of prison education.

Here’s how Emma described her experiences...

"It was like as education grew in importance, drugs became less important... gradually I was using [course] work as a distraction from the drugs."

31.10.2025 11:26 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Migrating to Bluesky? This Extension Finds Your X Followers on the App If you’re having trouble finding all of your X followers on Bluesky, Sky Follower Bridge will save the day.

Very handy little Chrome extension matches Twitter accounts to Bluesky so you can re-follow. www.mentalfloss.com/find-x-twitt...

28.11.2024 13:35 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0