San Rafael Public LibraryMarin County Free Library

Marin Literacy ProgramInmate Literacy Services

– FATHERS/MOTHERS Program– Inmate-to-Inmate Tutoring– Community Volunteer Tutoring & Video Learning

groups– Library Services

San Quentin State Prison

& Marin County JailJane Curtis jcurtis@marinliteracy.org

Programming at County Jail & State Prison

Jail programming funded by Marin County Sheriff’s Department

San Quentin programmingFunded by Private Foundations

Some Statistics

• Children who have a close relative who is incarcerated are five times more likely to be incarcerated themselves.

• The more an inmate participates in education programs while incarcerated, the lower his recidivism rate.

• Children whose parents lack literacy skills are twice as likely to be non-readers themselves.

• Break the cycle of low literacy and incarceration.

• Be a positive role model.

• Be your child’s first teacher.

• Empower your child with the tools to make good decisions in life.

• Use children’s books to teach – skills, attitudes, behavior.

Program Goals

Fathers As Teachers: Helping, Encouraging, Reading, Supporting

Mothers, Our Teachers : Helping, Encouraging, Reading, Supporting

F.A.T.H.E.R.S./M.O.T.H.E.R.S. Program

Program Elements

•15 hours or more of classroom instruction in family literacy

and parenting•Children’s picture books used in each lesson for instruction,

discussion and read aloud practice•Gift Books selected by students for each child in his/her life•Jail students read Gift Books on audiotapes for their children•Prison students have visiting room storytimes and a children’s

book collection there

F.A.T.H.E.R.S. Program Guide

To order the guide from California State Library Foundation

Go to www.cslfdn.orgclick Publicationsclick Literacy

Or call 916 447-6331

Best Practices

• Train and support all volunteers and staff in correctional awareness.

• Always comply with regulations at the correctional facility, even as they change.

• Establish clear ground rules for inmate attendance and behavior.

• Instruction should be both insight-based and skill-based.

Challenges

• High inmate turnover in jails.

• Difficult to track instructional hours and to define and measure success.

• Danger of over-familiarity with community volunteers and staff.

• Limited time for tutoring.

For a copy of this PowerPoint

Contact

Jane Curtis jcurtis@marinliteracy.org

415 458-5042