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Link between Crime and Literacy Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW 20120228 robertswright

Frontier College meets Community Justice Society. Link between Crime and Literacy Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW 20120228 www.robertswright.ca. If You Can Read This . . . : Linking Literacy, Crime, Health, and Injury Among Children and Youth 5 th Atlantic Summer Institute

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Link between Crime and Literacy Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW 20120228 robertswright

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  1. Frontier College meets Community Justice Society Link between Crime and LiteracyRobert S. Wright, MSW, RSW20120228www.robertswright.ca

  2. If You Can Read This . . . : Linking Literacy, Crime, Health, and Injury Among Children and Youth 5th Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities [August 28, 2008] Robert S. Wright, MSW, RSW Executive Director, Child and Youth Strategy Nova Scotia wrightrs@gov.ns.ca

  3. If you can read this You can read

  4. If you can read this (likely) Your parents could read

  5. If you can read this (likely) You’re not poor

  6. If you can read this (likely) You’re healthy

  7. If you can read this (likely) You haven’t suffered a TBI

  8. If you can read this (likely) You’re not in jail

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. Figure 2 - Readmission Rates of ABE Participants* * p < .001

  12. The Links Continued • Recidivism inversely related to education (reductions of 20% are suggested) • Post-release employment positively related to education participation and achievement

  13. 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)

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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 serendipitouslycome together to create the conditions that result in literacy skills

  17. 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

  18. Joey’s Story

  19. If You Can Read This . . . • A bumper sticker campaign won’t get us there

  20. Frontier College meets Community Justice Society Link between Crime and LiteracyRobert S. Wright, MSW, RSW20120228www.robertswright.ca

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