The Role Literacy Plays in Crime

Introduction

Within the criminal justice field, the question has often been asked: "What role does literacy play in crime?" According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, up to "70% of the incarcerated population is believed to be illiterate in some jurisdictions" (1999). Many criminals end up in prison because they do not have the literacy skills, the proper education, or the life skills to make it in life the way law-abiding citizens do. I am interested in finding out what role, if any, does literacy play in the decisions people make when they turn to a life of crime.

Many studies have been done to attempt to find the correlation between education and crime. The studies have looked at both juvenile facilities and adult facilities. My goal in this paper is to examine the correlation between literacy/education and crime at all levels of society. I also will examine the benefits of teaching literacy skills to those who are incarcerated. Many studies have also shown that recidivism decreases when literacy skills improve, and I will also be looking at evidence that supports this. The main problem I wish to address is the lack of educational programs within prisons; why this is a problem; and why we should work to correct it.

Why this is a problem

I truly believe that much of the crime in our country stems from a lack of literacy and life skills. I think that by exploring the current programs available, and seeing what has been effective, we can begin taking steps to improve the literacy skills of those in prison. I feel by educating prisoners, we are giving them a chance to not have to settle for a life of crime. We would be giving them opportunities. The cost in educating prisoners is miniscule compared to the amount of money that would be saved due to the commission of fewer crimes. J. Michael Quinlan, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons stated: "Society should recognize that the cost of college is really very insignificant when you compare the cost of the damage done by crime" (Hrabowski and Robbi, 2002).