We provide progressive and valuable business enterprise opportunities to those with the most complex barriers to employment
The Inside Academy delivers modern, enterprising business courses for people facing the most complex barriers to employment. We are born from and led by lived experience – built by and for people affected by the criminal justice system.
Our fully accredited programmes are designed to unlock potential inside prison and are paired with through-the-gate support upon release, maximising the chances of success on the outside.
During the summer of 2026, The Inside Academy spent four weeks travelling internationally, working with and learning from both men’s and women’s prisons to explore how they support people in…
Read more Bringing international prison learning back to the UKAt HMP Wealstun, our work has grown beyond individual ecommerce courses into a continuing community of people interested in entrepreneurship and personal development. Our breakfast club brings together learners from…
Read more More than a course: building an entrepreneurial community at HMP WealstunA prison leaver who attended one of our community-based courses in the Midlands has gone on to run his own ecommerce business, selling vintage clothing through eBay and Vinted. Our…
Read more From a community course to running an online clothing business
We’re proud to be backed by some of the most respected names in business and education. We’re always excited to collaborate with like-minded organisations who share our commitment to transforming lives and creating wider social value through bold, innovative programmes.
The work of The Inside Academy simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of our incredible funders and partners — to whom we are deeply grateful.
Find out moreAs an organisation that operates by and for its community, our foremost principle is to prioritise lived experience as the guiding force behind our actions. This entails capturing and addressing feedback from various sources, including pre and post-course evaluations, spontaneous comments from participants during course delivery, and focused group sessions.
By incorporating the invaluable insights from our students and focus group attendees, we consistently adapt our courses to ensure that they are tailored to meet the needs of the end-user.
Courses
Employment is widely recognised as one of the most important factors in combating reoffending. However, former prisoners continue to face multiple barriers to employment: stigma, poor education, and criminal disclosures, to name but a few. Consequently, 76% of prisoners do not enter employment upon release. Our enterprise model provides an immediate, meaningful, and realistic pathway to employment from day one of release.
We understand the challenges faced by those with a criminal conviction firsthand. We champion self-reliance. We help build confidence.
Our courses help learners explore practical routes into legitimate self-employment, supported by business skills, confidence-building and continued guidance.
We help our students become financially self-sufficient and provide for themselves and their families in a legitimate, scalable, and sustainable way.
The Prisoners’ Education Trust is a charity dedicated to offering distance learning courses, guidance and advice to people in prison. The Inside Academy is proud to feature in their prospectus, as the first lived experience-led organisation to offer a distance learning course to people currently serving a prison sentence. Click the button to see our course.
Prospectus
