2. Prison Industrial Complex: “A set of bureaucratic,
political, and economic interests that encourage
increased spending on imprisonment, regardless
of the actual need…”(Kleinfeld 87).
The prison population in the U.S has tripled since
1980
70% of the prison inmates in the U.S are
illiterate
46.5% of prison inmates do not have a high school
diploma
Recidivism: habitual relapse into crime; It refers to
a person's relapse into criminal behavior, often
after receiving sanctions or undergoing
intervention for a previous crime.
3. Literacy & PIC
O 70% of prisoners are illiterate in terms of
reading and writing ability
O When prisons provide educational
opportunities for inmates, recidivism rates
decrease
O Literacy skills are also important in prison
in order to fill out request forms, write
letters, and obtain certain prison jobs
O Prisoners with low literacy skills face even
more obstacles to obtain legal services
4. • Prisoner’s lack of literacy skills and legal
training contribute to the large number of
suits and requests that are dismissed by
the court because they are not well written
• Many prisoners cannot represent
themselves effectively due to their lack of
literacy skills
• Increasing access to legal information and
education programs will help reduce the
amount of frivolous claims
• Only 9% of prisoners with low literacy
skills are exposed to literacy programs
while in prison
5. Life after Prison
O Inmates with low literacy skills find it
extremely challenging to find and retain
employment as well as manage daily
tasks
O Without training and education, even the
prisoners that are trying are most likely
not to succeed after being released
O Inability to adjust to life beyond the
correctional institution leads to recidivism
