Most criminal law is based partly on the assumption that it should essentially be punitive and retributive. This assumption makes it difficult to reconcile punitive objectives with the goal of education as human development. The United Nations' Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners do not provide an adequate basis for education in prisons. The rules are vague in their rationale and express no guiding or explanatory philosophy. The basic principle of human dignity is missing from the rules. The concept of human dignity implies respect for the individual's actuality and potentiality. Article 26 of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifies that education should be directed to the full development of the human personality. Such education involves intellectual, emotional, social, and moral domains. It is clear that the concept of education directed to the full development of the human personality goes beyond prevailing concepts and practices of prison education. The reform of prison education will require profound rethinking of the principles of criminal justice, the nature of human relationships, the implications of human dignity, the requirements of human development, and the origins of violence. A statement submitted to the United Nations by various international groups on the treatment of prisoners is included.