Dr John Vorhaus is Research Director at the National Centre for Research and Development for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC), the former Director of the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning (WBL), and a Reader in Human Rights in Education.

John taught in prisons for many years, and has since directed studies on prisons and prison populations, teaching and learning, motivation and engagement, and the personal and social benefits of learning in relation to disaffected, disengaged and disadvantaged young people and adults.

He has published on European Human Rights law in the context of English prisons, and on dependency, citizenship and respect in relation to people with learning difficulties and disabilities.