Forever Change Inmates’ Cycles of Unemployment & Imprisonment.
SOARING Inmates Helping Inmates is a combined effort to break the cycle of poverty and imprisonment in our comunities.
“Poor people must be empowered to take charge of their own futures and become responsible for thrit own economic advancement. Personal motivation and initative, combined with social reform, are necessary elements to assist individuals in escaping poverty.”
– Economic Justice for All, NCCB
The Facts
Over 70% of our Illinois Correctional Centers inmate population have impaired literacy. Illinois’ annual prison inmate population averages some 41,000 inmates, at a cost of over $35,000 per inmate per year (totaling over $1.5 billion per year). Studies show. that most people who cannot read are impeded from maintaining gainful employment.
Reading impairment is a root cause of impairment. Studies show if the inmates do not start learning to read before they are released into society, they will likely repeat offend and end up back in prison becuase they are impeded from making a legitimate living.
Our Mission
In a test over the past twelve years at two state prisons, Inmates Helping Inmates utilized the “peer-to-peer” concept of encouraging inmates with the ability to read to tutor reading impared students to learn to read.
Inmates Helping Inmates is substantially increasing the liklihood of these inmates “breaking their cycle of poverty” and imprisonment. Of course all of this is very important to the inmates’ futures… but reduced recidivism also reduces cost to law enforcement, the court system, the general public, and should reduce the state costs of prisons over $400 million annually.
Our Story
The Staggering Numbers in Illinois:
- 80% of inmates who leave prisons without learning how to read will return to prison.
- The Illinois Department of C has a current inmate population of some 41,000. Some 29,000 are reading impaired.
- Only 12% of inmates who do learn to read while in the IDOC do repeat offend.
- The IDOC Staff Educators help 53% of inmates advance reading skills. (and staff continues to be cut)
- Public volunteer tutors of inmate students help 22% of inmates learn to read.
Proven Solutions:
- “Inmates helping Inmates” is the #1 program in the United States to help 97% of inmates advance their reading skills. It is endorsed by the IDOC (Illinois Department of
Corrections) and Illinois State legislature…and unanimously supported by Illinois Catholic Dioceses’ Prison Ministries.
- Reading impairment is a root cause of poverty as it impedes gainful employment. 70% of IDOC inmates are reading impaired. We help most inmates advance 5 grades in a year!
- The “peer-to-peer” design of ‘SOARING Inmates Helping Inmates’ is key to its 97% success rate and low cost as the inmate tutors are paid $10 per week for full-time work each week.
Ways you can Help:
We seek qualified part-time Volunteer Literacy Aides for each Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Adult Correctional Center for just 1 or 2 days a month.
- Our preference is to have Volunteer Literacy Aides with a background in some area of education.
- As our Volunteer Literacy Aides serve as “teachers to teach teachers.” Some universities have indicated that graduate or doctorial students needing placement for real life experience could qualify for course credit for teaching the qualified inmates to become literacy tutors of reading impaired inmate students.
- Retired or part-time teachers are also goo candidates for this position.
- To reduce time and travel expense, it would be best to secure a qualified Volunteer Literacy Aide who live near the facility in which they will volunteer.
- For more information, call Mike at 618-920-8448
Become a Volunteer Today
Catholic Charaties of Southern Illinois seeks volunteer literacy aids 1 or 2 days a month.
Breaking the Cycle
of Poverty and Imprisonment Since 1990
Please help us change the lives of these inmates by helping them becoming literate…
…which in turn helps them become good and productive, improving families and communities, while we help reduce our state budge for correctional institutions.
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