Most inmates in British prisons have a reading age lower than an 11-year-old and this is why they must be included on this year’s World Book Day, says tech entrepreneur James Tweed
Promoting reading for prisoners could cut crime and reduce the UK’s reoffending rates, a tech entrepreneur has said.
James Tweed, CEO of Cambridge-based digital learning platform Coracle, which provides laptops to prisoners, says it is essential inmates are encouraged to read during their time in prison.
“Many prisoners have poor literacy skills and grapple with reading difficulties, making it even harder to reintegrate into society on their release,” said Tweed.
“Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that 57% of adult prisoners have literacy levels below those expected of an 11-year-old,” he said.
“But reading helps prisoners to learn new skills, improve their mental wellbeing and offer them a source of hope for the future.
According to Tweed, breaking the cycle of illiteracy could bring colossal benefits to wider society. He says he hopes World Book Day, which takes place on March 2, can be a turning point.
“The cost of illiteracy to the UK economy is put at more than £37bn a year by the World Literacy Foundation,” he said.
“Illiteracy and crime are linked, and building literacy skills offers a way out.”
Tweed believes there are huge hurdles for prisoners when it comes to literacy and education.
“It’s almost impossible to navigate the world without a good level of literacy. From applying for jobs, to booking a doctor’s appointment, to securing housing, without being able to read and understand what you’re reading, you’re up against a huge barrier at all times.
“In a world of written CVs and cover letters, this means that prisoners with poor literacy skills become locked out of employment. This, in turn, makes them more likely to turn back to crime.”
Tweed set up Coracle Inside to help prisoners learn inside prisons and now supplies laptops to 85 prisons in England and Wales. His interest in prison education when he was approached by a local prison to donate books.
“When I donated books and reading materials to my local prison library, I realised the importance of widening access to education, and books are a vital part of this.
“In an increasingly digital world, we need not only to be literate but to be digitally literate, too. Lacking these essential skills makes getting by in modern society extremely challenging.”
Coracle’s next update will see the addition of an eReader and library of out of copyright books from Project Gutenburg to its devices.
“We have had a lot of demand for more access to books in digital format from prisons and the prisoner population, so we expect it to be a very popular addition to our devices.”
Coracle is one of the very few companies in the UK authorised by the Ministry of Justice to provide inmates with internet-free computers, on which they can complete modules for their apprenticeships.
