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SPCK works to improve prisoners’ literacy skills
Rebecca Mulhearn is the project manager for Diffusion. She previously worked as a commissioning editor for SPCK and lives in Bedfordshire with her husband, two daughters and cat. In honour of International Literacy Day, she blogs about her work with Diffusion, a programme designed to help prisoners improve their literacy skills.
As part of its outreach to those in need SPCK is proud to run the Diffusion programme, which helps people in prison to improve their literacy skills.
Many prisoners – some say nearly 50% – struggle to read and write English. This means that on release they will find it hard to get a job: even something as simple as reading a packing list in a warehouse may be beyond them.
Diffusion works to help prisoners improve their reading confidence. We provide exciting, easy-to-read books that are specifically written for adult learners. The books are given for free to prison reading groups and the discussion questions included in them help to inspire self-reflection, encourage empathy, emphasize the importance of making good choices and highlight the importance of positive relationships.
With improved literacy and thinking skills prisoners are more likely to find a job on release.
Taking part in a reading group can have a really positive impact on someone’s life. This comment from a prisoner about one of our books sums up what we are achieving with the programme:
'This is the first book I’ve read fully in over a decade. I really got into it surprisingly seeing as I haven’t managed to read a full book since primary school … The book touched me in many different ways: [it] was very very similar to my life and events in my life. It made me think about my own actions more and realize they were wrong, almost bought a tear to my eyes a couple of times.' - Prisoner, HMP Lewes
As well as sending books into prisons, Diffusion also sends its authors into prisons to work with small groups of learners. Earlier this year, Diffusion author Matt Dickinson ran an author workshop in HMP Guys Marsh.
Matt is one of the few people in the world to have filmed on top of Mount Everest and he used his mountaineering experiences as a way to initially engage the group. He was able to draw parallels between the world of extreme mountaineering and being in prison, for example being away from loved ones, not being in full control of your own destiny, and spending long periods in isolation.
The men responded enthusiastically. One commented, 'Matt is a truly inspirational guy and his knowledge and experiences were totally amazing. He is awesome! It made me think that I should push myself to a new challenge no matter how impossible or massive… With determination and perseverance you can do anything.' - Prisoner, HMP Guys Marsh
Another said: 'Now that I am on my own journey I hope to achieve even more awesome stuff when I get out of this place. This is all preparation for the world out there and it’s great to be inspired.' - Prisoner, HMP Guys Marsh
After this icebreaker the men read and discussed Matt’s Diffusion book, Snake, which deals with issues around peer pressure and truth and honesty in relationships. The librarian at HMP Guys Marsh, with whom we had organized the visit, wrote that the workshop was ‘fantastic’ and that:
‘Matt was brilliant! He was so entertaining and the men really responded well to him.’
She also said that the workshop encouraged the men to improve their reading skills and to read more often. She believed that discussing the book helped them to reflect on their own lives and to recognise the importance of positive relationships. This is backed up by a comment from one of the men, who wrote:
'The book made me think how being around the wrong people can have a big influence on your life.' - Prisoner, HMP Guys Marsh
Reading groups not only improve literacy skills, they also help to improve thinking and listening skills and encourage a more positive attitude to skills acquisition. All of these are vital for finding a job, keeping it and staying out of prison.
If you would like to support SPCK’s mission to improve the lives of prisoners please donate here.
To read more about the Diffusion programme please visit the Diffusion site.
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