Reading Right From Wrong - Investigating the role a Community Rehabilitation Company plays in supporting individuals who experience literacy difficult

Background:
The definitions of literacy are many and continually evolve. Inglis and Aers (2008) noted it is a person's ability to read and write whereas the National Literacy Trust considered speaking and listening skills as well as the ability to read and write as essential skills in developing literacy. Whilst Lawson and Gordon (1996) noted there is no 'universal standard of literacy,' the phrase 'functional literacy' attempts to link literacy to purpose and is described as the level of skill in reading and writing that people need to be able to cope with adult life.

Literacy plays a vital role in daily living and its absence creates wider inequality, undermines wellbeing and prevents people from making informed choices or offering a full contribution to economic and cultural life. Project Literacy produced the Alphabet of Illiteracy, based on a body of evidence poignantly illustrating 'that illiteracy is the root cause of almost every major problem humanity faces'. They argue that supporting people to read and write will help to reduce the spread of disease, lift people out of poverty and reduce inequality. Literacy is a national priority. Douglas (2017) estimated by 2025 illiteracy will cost UK GDP an estimated £34 billion. According to the National Literacy Trust around 15% (5.1 million people) of adults in England lack basic literacy skills.

Research demonstrates a relationship between low literacy and crime. Low literacy is a characteristic evident in the prisoner population. Kozol (1985) noted the causal relationship between literacy and offending: 'While criminal conviction of illiterate men and women cannot be identified exclusively with inability to read and write, the fact that 60 per cent of prison inmates cannot read above the grade level surely provides some indication of one major reason for their criminal activity'. Whilst this was referring to the U.S. situation, a similar picture unfolds in the UK. The Prison Reform Trust (2018) found over half (54%) of people entering prison were assessed as having literacy skills expected of an 11 year old over three times higher than in the general adult population (15%). Hendricks et al (2016) discussed the relationship between reading ability and speed of recidivism following research by the California Department of the Youth Authority. It found 'those with low reading ability were more likely to recidivate within three months, while those with higher reading ability were more likely to recidivate during the fourth through fifteenth months'. This is supported by Harer (1994) noting the inverse relationship between recidivism rates and education which is the more education a person receives the less likely they are to be re-arrested or re-imprisoned.

The criminal justice system is based on information presented in a written format. Failure to understand the information presented to them may have implications for offenders, including failure to understand warning letters, pre-sentence reports and specified interventions, ultimately this could result in non-compliance. In the Boyce-Cottrell (2014) study, probation officers noted low literacy levels narrowed 'your options of what you can do with offenders' specifically referring to accredited programmes because of a written element to them. They considered probation interventions to be less successful with people who had low literacy levels.

This is an important research area because Morrisroe (2014) noted improving literacy levels 'could be a protective measure against the risk of involvement in crime'.