TOPEKA, Kansas — A literacy program at the only women’s prison in Kansas helps incarcerated mothers and grandmothers connect with young family members.

Program run by Fort Hays State University faculty and students She helps some women at the Topeka Correctional Facility improve their reading skills. It also gives them the confidence to read aloud to their children and grandchildren when they come to visit or provide recordings for loved ones to take home.

Dani Essman, coordinator Women’s Activities and Learning Center At the Department of Corrections, he said, the effort gives inmates a chance to connect with their children, even though they have little opportunity to see them while in custody. He said this is important for children, too.

“When they come to prison, they are still parents,” Essman said. “Their children still need them.”

Research shows literacy levels are generally low among incarcerated adults. Dr. D., professor of education at Fort Hays State University. The average prisoner in the United States has a fourth-grade reading level, Sarah Broman Miller said.

Broman Miller and criminal justice professor Dr. The nearly 5-year-old program, started by April Terry, aims to reverse this trend by increasing interest in literature and providing incarcerated women with books they enjoy.

Broman Miller said women in the Topeka prison were more motivated to read when they felt comfortable reading aloud to their children. This is important, he said, because reading to children can also improve a child’s reading skills and help break the cycle of illiteracy.

It also strengthens the bonds between incarcerated women and their children.

“One woman said her daughter listened to this recording every night, and it was a way for her mother to get her in,” Broman Miller said.

Terry said studies show that inmates who maintain connections with their families or people in their communities have less disciplinary records while in prison. It is also easier for them to reintegrate into society and they are less likely to return to prison.

Essman said the program improves mental health among incarcerated women. He said many inmates didn’t have good role models in their youth, but the program helps them learn how to be better parents and develop better relationships with their children.

Reading also provides a temporary escape, Essman said.

“When you read a book, you can feel like you are in a completely different world,” Essman said. “You are not in prison while reading a book.”

Dylan Lysen covers social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen (at) kcur (dot) org.

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