Literacy Instruction to

Providing Literacy Instruction to Inmates:

A Variety of Approaches

by VICTOIRE GERKENS SANBORN

“It is widely known that people serving time in correctional facilities who do not meet the 12th grade educational benchmark standards are more vulnerable to recidivism and re-arrest than those who do achieve these standards. The overwhelming majority of inmates currently incarcerated are from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. ” “Observing Knowledge Building Practices in the Corrections Environment,” Paula Welling, Sandy Johnson, & Tamecia Jones, 2003.

A number of Virginia’s communi- constantly monitored via camera. Due ty-based literacy organizations provide to the jail’s strict schedule, we are limited a variety of direct and indirect literacy in the hours we can provide our volunservices to their local jails. Volunteer teer services. This summer the jail has literacy instruction empowers inmates been closed to visitors for six weeks.” in more than just the obvious ways. Tu- Despite such strict oversight, Literators can serve as a link to the real world, cy Volunteers of Culpeper County operconnecting inmates to family and friends ates a successful Pre-GED/GED preparathrough letters. They can help them fill tion program at their local jail with three out request forms, or act as mentors to volunteers. Peninsula READS oversees a parolees who are transitioning back into small literacy program organized many the community. years ago in the Newport News jail. Tutoring an incarcerated individual Two volunteers tutor there once a week, can be daunting. Stringent checkpoints, teaching both regular and transient prisless than ideal classroom environments, oners. Pittsylvania currently provides five and lack of privacy can discourage even tutors who attend weekly sessions with the most dedicated volunteer. Karen their students inside the jail, providing Hearn, director of the Pittsylvania Lit- extra work for the inmates in the GED eracy Program writes, “Everyone has to program. be screened both before and during the Some organizations encounter unjail visit. All keys, wallets, jewelry and expected barriers in helping inmates valuables are to be left with the depu- reach their literacy goals. Sallie Garrett, ties before entering. Recently I took a director of Highlands Literacy Project plastic fraction pie kit inside, and they in Abingdon, spoke about the difficulty had to count all of the pieces before and in making progress with an inmate who after my tutoring session. We may take left jail after only two sessions. Janet pencils in, but we cannot let the students Booth of Eastern Shore Literacy Counkeep them. Laminated sheets of any cil mentioned that one inmate chose not kind are prohibited. Only paperback to continue his literacy instruction after books are permitted. Tutors and students his early release. Her program operates in meet at a table in a downstairs hallway two counties, each of which is governed with surveillance cameras all around. An by different jail policies and guidelines. officer monitors everything we say and Some programs do not have their do. If the table is full, then we can go in volunteers work within the confines of a locked room to work. From the time the local jails. BEACON in Prince Wilwe log in until the time we leave, we are liam County receives referrals from probation officers for clients who need instruction. Skyline Literacy Coalition in Dayton trains literacy coordinators hired by a transition house to instruct GED students. Many programs, like Tidewater Literacy Council, have worked with jails in the past and remain open to future partnerships. In some areas, such as Mount Rogers and Campbell County, public adult education programs already provide GED instruction in jails. They contact community based organizations when volunteer tutors are needed to help with one on one instruction. To sum up, a number of literacy organizations provide literacy instruction in jails in order to strengthen our communities. Their reasons for providing instruction to inmates are similar to those expressed by Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott: “Studies have shown that inmate participation in education, vocational and job training, prison work skills development, drug abuse, mental health and other treatment programs, all reduce recidivism significantly.” .:

Victoire Gerkens Sanborn is the director of the Literacy Support Center at VALRC.