TOPEKA, Kansas — A literacy program at the only women’s prison in Kansas is helping incarcerated mothers and grandmothers connect with their young family members.
The program operated by Fort Hays State University faculty and students helps some of the women at the Topeka Correctional Facility boost their reading abilities. It also gives them confidence to read aloud to their children and grandchildren when they visit – or provide recordings for their loved ones to take home.
Dani Essman, coordinator for the Women's Activities and Learning Center at the prison, said the effort gives inmates a chance to connect with their children, despite having few opportunities to see them while they are in custody. That’s also important for the children, she said.
“When they come to prison, they are still parents,” Essman said. “Their kids still need them.”
Studies show literacy levels are often low among incarcerated adults. Dr. Sarah Broman Miller, a teaching education professor at Fort Hays State University, said the average inmate in the United States has a fourth-grade reading level.
The nearly 5-year-old program — launched by Broman Miller and Dr. April Terry, a criminal justice professor — aims to reverse that trend by sparking interest in literature and providing incarcerated women with books they enjoy.
Broman Miller said women at the Topeka prison also seem to be more motivated to read once they feel comfortable reading aloud to their children. That’s important because reading to children can boost the child’s reading skills as well, helping break a cycle of illiteracy, she said.
It also strengthens bonds among incarcerated women and their children.
“One woman said that her daughter listened to that recording every night,” Broman Miller said, “and that was just her way of being tucked in by her mom.”
Terry said research shows inmates who remain connected to family or people in their community have fewer disciplinary records while in prison. They also have an easier time reintegrating into the public and are less likely to return to prison.
Essman said the program boosts mental health among incarcerated women. She said many inmates didn’t have good role models in their youth, but the program is helping them learn how to be better parents and foster better relationships with their children.
Essman said reading also provides a temporary escape.
“When you read a book, you can be in a whole other world,” Essman said. “You’re not in prison when you are reading a book.”
Dylan Lysen reports on social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen (at) kcur (dot) org.
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