Studying in prison

You can study in prison if you fulfil the specific requirements and your sentence plan supports the goals of your studies. The length of your sentence, your working and functioning capacity and the location of your prison are taken into account when assessing the possibility of studying.

Available education and training

During the prison term, it is possible to complete a basic education or a general upper secondary education syllabus or a vocational qualification or parts of them. In addition, the prisons arrange education preparing for a qualification.

On certain conditions, you may be permitted to study outside the prison. The permission may be granted if it advances the implementation of your sentence plan and your compliance with the conditions of the permission may be deemed likely. The compliance with the conditions may be supervised and the Prison and Probation Service is in contact with the educational institution on matters concerning the compliance with the conditions

Study permission in open prisons

In an open prison, you may apply for permission to participate in education arranged by an educational institution outside the prison. You do not need permission for studies arranged in the prison, only for regular studies arranged outside the prison.

You apply to the prison where you are placed for study permission. The practices vary between the prisons. You should bring up your wishes to study in your arrival interview and the discussions concerning your sentence plan.

Open prisons have staff members responsible for study-related matters, who can support and advice you to get study permission. The permission process may take a surprisingly long time because it requires the exchange of information and cooperation between the prison and the educational institution. In some open prisons, it is possible to complete studies as distance education and online education by using your own computer. Such online studies require that you fulfil the conditions of study permission and agree on the practical arrangement of the studies.