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Link between Crime and Literacy Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW 20120228 www.robertswright.ca Frontier College meets Community Justice Society
Link between Crime and Literacy
Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW20120228
www.robertswright.ca
Frontier College meets Community Justice Society
If You Can Read This . . . :Linking Literacy, Crime, Health, and
Injury Among Children and Youth
5th Atlantic Summer Instituteon Healthy and Safe Communities
[August 28, 2008]
Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSWExecutive Director, Child and Youth Strategy
Nova Scotia
If you can read this
You can read
If you can read this (likely)
Your parents could read
If you can read this (likely)
You’re not poor
If you can read this (likely)
You’re healthy
If you can read this (likely)
You haven’t suffered a TBI
If you can read this (likely)
You’re not in jail
Population Data Difficult
Education is noted as a social determinant of health, but population links difficult to access
Prison populations generally have lower educational attainment than gen. pop. (51% hsc vs. 76% hsc – Hendricks, Hendricks & Kauffman, 2001)
Education attainment among offenders correlates to less functional literacy than in gen. pop.
The Link in the Literature CSC Study in 1992 reviewed the
literature on ABE and recidivism (Porpino & Robinson, 1992)
Of 7 studies reviewed 4 indicated a link between BEP and reduced recidivism (all 3 of the most rigorous studies showed a positive effect)
Their own study showed strong link
Figure 2 - Readmission Rates of ABE Participants*
* p < .001
The Links Continued
Recidivism inversely related to education (reductions of 20% are suggested)
Post-release employment positively related to education participation and achievement
Some Confounding Issues Literacy/education attainment not
related to severity of crimes at admission
Education effect on recidivism highest among lowest educated inmates (adult and juvenile) (Isom, 2005)
My Speculations
Literacy/education crime link highest among persons whose criminal behaviour is related to “lack of opportunity” (those who suffer from conradblackitis unlikely to benefit from education)
Link is likely complex intersection of family literacy, social, self-efficacy and other literacy correlates
Some Challenges
Juvenile and young adult offenders likely to receive short sentences and little correctional education programming
Juvenile offenders often have fragile attachment to PSP
PSP demands distract from functional literacy imperative
Literacy: A Proposition
Illiteracy is a complex social problem both in cause and effect
A complex constellation of various developmental, personal, familial, neighbourhood, community, social and political factors must serendipitously come together to create the conditions that result in literacy skills
The Opportunity
New models of collaboration among government and community stakeholders must be developed to ensure (not promote) a literate populace
Focus on high risk and at-risk populations a great place to start – such as youth under some form of correctional intervention
Joey’s Story
If You Can Read This . . .
A bumper sticker campaign won’t get us there
Link between Crime and Literacy
Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW20120228
www.robertswright.ca
Frontier College meets Community Justice Society
