Brazilian Inmates Offered Reduced Sentences for Reading Books

Research shows that literacy reduces recidivism among prisoners. So a new program in Brazil will try reducing prison sentences four days for prisoners who read a book and submit a book report, with an annual cap for time off set at 12 books per year. “Brazil’s ‘Redemption through Reading’ program … is the latest in a long series of efforts seeking to educate the incarcerated in an effort to reduce recidivism and give convicts a different view of the world ‘outside,’” reports Paul Koring for the Globe & Mail, who notes that efficacy of such programs are debated worldwide. Lower literacy rates are common in prison populations, and many prisons offer education programs with the hope of reducing recidivism and costs. As an activity, reading can reduce frustration and increase mental stimulus and social awareness. – YaleGlobal