The article claims that the philosophy inherent in the European Prison Rules (Council of Europe 1987) is a coherent and credible description of the role of imprisonment, i.e., it advocates an adult education orientation for the education of those held in custody. The article analyzes a Council of Europe report, "Education in Prison" (1990), which also advocates that view, and analyzes and criticizes the Anglo-American approach, arguing that it is close to incompatible with genuine education. The article discusses some of the underlying core principles of European Prison Rules, the Anglo-American model, issues for prison education, transformative learning, and suggestions for the future. References