NLA Discussion: prison literacy

[Donna Miller-Parker]

Though the federal department of education is allocating no funds for
prison literacy, I believe that most prisons do have literacy programs.  In
Washington state, the state department of corrections provides significant
funding for these programs.  In fact, the state legislature has mandated
that basic skills be the primary focus of all prison education and that
prisoners without a GED must attend basic skills classes.  This applies
only to state institutions, not to local or county jails -- although many
of those institutions do operate basic skills classes cooperatively with
local colleges or literacy programs.  The controversy here is instead
whether inmates should receive vocational training or education beyond the
GED level -- our legislature says no.

Donna Miller-Parker, Director
Northwest Regional Literacy Resource Center
2120 South Jackson Street
Seattle, WA  98144
(206) 587-4983, FAX (206) 587-4900