Catholic Charities of IL offers an innovative Literacy program for Inmates, where inmates tutor inmates with incredibly positive results. Studies show that 70% of IL inmates have reading difficulties. Without the ability to read, the odds of an inmate getting a job outside of prison drops dramatically.

Studies show without adequate literacy, inmates return to prison over 80% of the time. But when an inmate completes the Catholic Charities Literacy program, the odds of that inmate returning to prison drops to only 12%. This is the biggest factor in enabling inmates to return to society as good and productive citizens.

Inmates can improve as much as five grade levels per year and are stunned at the new world they’ve been missing, including improved faith in their daily life. They can read the Bible, sing along with the hymnal, and become a positive contributor in their communities for the first time and that is why they advance so quickly.

For every inmate we educate and help to not return to prison, we save the State of IL $35,000 per year. The expense of Correctional Institutions is the 2nd largest budget item for our state.

Please help us change the lives of these inmates by becoming literate, which in turn helps them become good and productive members of society, improving families and communities, while we help reduce our state budget for correctional institutions.

If this fundraiser does not sell 500 tickets, it will automatically convert to a ’50/50 after expenses’ raffle with the winners receiving their pro-rata share of the winnings.