In a Florida home, a young child gets ready for bed. After putting on pajamas, and being tucked into bed, the youngster curls up with a book – and the telephone. Once the phone rings, the book opens and the child begins to learn something new.

On the other side of the line, an inmate sits in the Leon County Jail with a phone cradled against his ear and book on his lap. After reading to his child, and discussing the lessons in the book, the inmate returns to his cell with the knowledge that he can still parent – even while behind bars.

As part of the Literacy Increase program, inmates now have the chance to strengthen their relationships by reading to their children over the phone – and engaging them in meaningful conversations on a regular basis.

“The purpose of this program is to plant a seed within these offenders,” says William Bothwell, President of Literacy Increase. “And that seed is basically that they are teachers. If these inmates become teachers for their children, it creates a special bond, and all of a sudden there is a purpose for both the inmate and their child.”

By improving literacy among offenders, and reinforcing their family relationships, the Literacy Increase program has begun to make a difference in a number of corrections facilities across the nation. A non-profit organization, Literacy Increase is funded by community donations. The program recently started as a pilot in Florida's Leon County Jail, and has received positive reviews.

“A really nice aspect of this program is the concept of giving,” says Tameka Collins-Smith, Director of Programs at Leon County Jail. “When children receive the donated books, Literacy Increase tells them the books are gifts from their fathers. That also helps to strengthen bonds because it lets the child know their father is thinking of them.”

The Law of Giving

Literacy Increase was founded by Bothwell eight years ago, while he was marketing research materials for corrections libraries. Walking through several corrections facilities, he noticed that many children spent their visiting hours running around without anything to do – and without having any meaningful exchange with their fathers.

Bothwell decided to start Literacy Increase, with help from community donations, and based on the belief that knowledge should be shared so that bonds could strengthen.

“After an inmate has learned something, they have to give to their child,” explains Bothwell. “They have to mentor them. Once inmates start teaching and mentoring their children, the children themselves become teachers because they want to share knowledge. It's just like a chain reaction.”

And the chain reaction has been working. Implemented through the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a number of corrections facilities have been taking advantage of Literacy Increase, which is currently based out of Florida.

Officials at the Leon County Jail decided to implement the Literacy Increase program at the facility when they realized many inmates were struggling with fatherhood issues during incarceration.

“[We] saw that these inmates were struggling with their parental role,” says Collins-Smith. “They have no contact with their children besides an occasional phone conversation. Many inmates said they didn't know how to connect with their children.”

Literacy Increase has changed the way inmates interact with their children during incarceration by first helping inmates, who in turn help their children. Inmates who sign up to complete a Literacy Increase class are eligible to begin teaching their children from the books over the phone.

Most inmates spend four or five nights a week on the phone with their children, and they usually read to them for about 15 minutes, according to Collins-Smith. Currently, 10 inmates at Leon County Jail are participating in the Literacy Increase program.

“The response from the inmates has been great,” says Collins-Smith. “We have one inmate who has been participating in the program and he constantly tells us that it has done wonders for breaking down barriers between him and his sons. With Literacy Increase, they feel like he's involved; they feel like he cares.”

Creating Life-Long Learners

Once Literacy Increase has been implemented, inmates can take advantage of a facility-based library, which is full of children's books. Meanwhile, Literacy Increase also sets up a miniature library in the home of each offender's child. The miniature libraries are made possible by community donations, at no additional cost to the facility.

“Basically, the inmates and their children have access to the same books,” says Bothwell. “That way, when they are on the phone, they can read the same books together and to each other. It establishes a connection over information – parents want to learn so they can teach their children, and children want to learn so they can make their parents proud.”

Bothwell says that Literacy Increase is also successful because it builds a long-term relationships between parent and child – and more.

“The spin-off effects of this program are tremendous,” says Bothwell. “This helps in education, it helps inmates build better relationships, and it helps them return to their families with better relationships intact. During this program, they aren't just learning for themselves – they are learning for their kids.”

According to Bothwell, Literacy Increase teaches inmates how to continue sharing information with their children – and builds a lasting bond.

“This is a program that creates life-long learners,” says Bothwell. “We're helping inmates establish relationships with their children, based on education, which will last just as long.”

Resources:

For more information on Literacy Increase: LiteracyIncrease@aol.com

William Bothwell, President of Literacy Increase: 850-877-1965