Literacy and inclusion are common themes in information use. We often think of disadvantaged communities that require unique ideas and solutions. Imagine now the issues that may arise for a female prisoner and their rehabilitation. Complex issues such as emotion, educational and social well being are often made worse by self esteem issues associated with literacy and expression. This case study considers a project in Scotland that tackles these issues head on.
Stirling Libraries had been providing the library service to Cornton Vale Prison for some time. It was a very good library, much like a small branch of around 2000 books. However, when I started delivering the service in 2001, I felt the selection of books were not fully appreciated, and started up some reader development projects. I ran poetry workshops, took in visiting authors and started a monthly reading group, but a big percentage of the girls in Cornton Vale are ‘'short termers'' and by the time I went back in, they had often been released.
Putting Readers in Residence
From my experience, I knew the participants were willing to be involved in some kind of project. Readers and Writers in Residence programmes had worked very successfully in prisons in England. They would lend continuity to the reading experience and service offered to prisoners. Like every other such scheme, however, I knew this would be dependent on extra funding, not always easy to attract. However in October 2006 I attended the CILIP Prison Library Conference and discovered the Paul Hamlyn Foundation backed projects in prisons. They still had funding available in their ‘Free for Words' strand of funding. The application was submitted in collaboration with the Prison Literacies Officer, who had a wider remit for all Scottish Prisons. We decided to ask for funding for another two of those prisons - HMP Perth and HMP Polmont YOI (Young Offenders' Institution). Paul Hamlyn agreed to fund the other two prisons once we had proved that the Cornton Vale Prison project was successful. Stirling Libraries received the biggest amount of funding Paul Hamlyn had ever given out under the ‘Free for Words' strand.
A Reader in Residence differs from a Writer in Residence in that they promote creative reading through different activities, rather than concentrating on producing written work. The work in Cornton Vale is inspired by a three-year plan, which was set up at inception, and although this has been followed in a way, it has flexibility to allow the influence of the Reader in Residence's own experiences, vision and ideas. It is by no means a finished document and part of the Reader's remit is to develop the project according to their individual skills. The project also adapts to the demands and wishes of the learners.
We based our Reader in Residence in Education within the prison and three days in the week are spent there delivering the service. The other two days are spent in Stirling Library Headquarters where there is time to prepare for the groups and reflect on the work. The Reader can also call on the experience of the librarians there; what material to buy, who to receive funding from for author visits and which authors work well. A Steering Group supports the Readers and meet quarterly to monitor progress of the project and make sure the aims are being met.
Aims
The aim of the program is to promote creative reading within the prison and to develop reading amongst the women and their families. It is also to promote use of the library and create links between the women and community libraries outside.
Outcomes are that the literacy skills, confidence and self-esteem are improved through creative reading activities. By taking part in group activity isolation is reduced and personal horizons and aspirations can be expanded.
Activities
The project aims to engage with two-thirds of the women in Cornton Vale who are not currently taking part in formal education.
Activities are offered in a non-formal manner in an environment that is unintimidating whilst promoting a social atmosphere of equality. Anybody can join the different activities, regardless of whether they are confident or reluctant readers.
Library Drop-in
The drop-in encourages those who are not very confident to visit the library and get some support choosing a book. This has evolved into the Reader Champions Group, which involves working within the library to promote it through writing book reviews and creating promotional material.
Story-sacks project
Students make a sack for a child within their family using a theme. The objectives are to enhance the basic literacy skills of parent and child and to maintain vital contact between them. Working in partnership with the adult learning team at first, this group is now continuing with Peer Tutors. It takes between 8 to 12 weeks to make a sack which includes both a fiction and non-fiction reading book relating to a chosen theme. Stories, acrostic poems, quizzes and games are also made up by the women to go into the sack. It links in well with the Story Book Mums as the sack may also contain a CD recording of the fictional book or the mum's own unique story. Inclusion of a further reading list encourages the children at home to join their local library. The acrostic poem uses the familiarity of a child's name to come up with a personalised poem, so parents can write about thoughts and feelings associated with the child. Women rise to the challenge and are extremely motivated to do something for their children. Most importantly, many of the women feel they are contributing positively to their children's reading and personal development.
Friday's Book Group
The book group encourages more prisoners to read books and enhances the enjoyment prisoners get from books, while expanding the type of books they read.
The Book Group was initially started as the Scottish Women's Writing group and the focus was on reading books by Scottish Women authors, but has now moved on to look at male authors, non-fiction, different genres and international writers. Participants read a book over three weeks but they meet every week to read together and discuss the genre of book, style of writing, plot and characters. Author visits add extra interest to this group, bringing the stories to life. These have included Margaret Thomson Davis, Laura Marney, Jess Smith, Lesley Pearce and Alex Gray. These events also reach out to other learners who are not talking any formal education courses.
The book can be a lifeline, a companion and that well-known escape into another world. One example of the power that a book can have was the woman who found a book within her cell, never having read a book before. She kept re-reading the second last chapter because she didn't want the book to end. There are so many benefits relating to the women's personal development by joining reading activities, as well as the obvious one of stretching their individual reading horizons. Other benefits include the ability to discuss and vocalise personal opinions.
Diary Corner
A new group was created from a discussion at the book group about ‘The Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank. The learners come together to put down their thoughts in their own diary over a cup of coffee. Within a trusting environment, there is the opportunity to read some of the personal writing out loud and there is also a communal diary that the women can comment in each week. In this group they also take part in activities looking at life goals, creative writing and positive thinking. The diary session promotes personal development by providing the opportunity to put down individual thoughts and feelings within a safe environment. It also promotes skills in reflection and goal setting.
Movie Discussion Group
This is an evening activity where learners explore different genre of films such as horror, romantic comedies, westerns and animation. One film is shown over two sessions with plenty of chance to discuss plot, characters and film technique. There is also ample opportunity to discuss range of issues and themes covered by different films. Again this is co-tutored by Reader-in-Residence and a Carnegie Lecturer, so partnership working is vital. Emphasis is put on those films that have been adapted from a book or short story like It's A Wonderful Life, Mildred Pierce, Open Range and Bride And Prejudice.
Exploring Poetry
Many of the girls write poetry but have never read it or heard it spoken aloud. As a group, many different writers and genres are looked at. The objectives of this group are to read works of published poets to help with writing poems. The girls form opinions and share them in the group.
Quick Reads Book Group
There are many in the prison who are intimidated by or do not have the patience or concentration to read larger books. Some of the girls have now finished their first ever book. This group is not only restricted to reading books, but newspapers and plays as well. Ability to read is not necessary although it was found that the girls were reading in everyday life and never realised that they could read. A Graphic Novel Group is planned to encourage more Young Offenders.
Initial evaluation carried out by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation has been positive and the project has been quoted as ‘the best example of the ‘Free from Words projects'. Good partnership working was cited as the main reason for this success. The project is now also running in Polmont Young Offenders and Perth Prison and there are plans to produce a booklet, which will be made up of all the different projects in the three establishments. This would be useful for Community Libraries as well as prison establishments. All Readers are working on pre-release information to be given out to prisoners so that they can join their own community libraries on release.
Challenges are that the three prisons are all completely different and what works in one place may not work somewhere else.
Our hope for the future is that it can be seen as beneficial to the learning process, so much so that it will be embedded into the contracts of the education providers when the new prison education contracts are drawn up.
Liz Moffat BSc(Econ) MCLIP is Community Outreach Librarian with Stirling Council Libraries and has worked in libraries for twenty-five years. She is responsible for providing library services to anyone in the Stirling Council area who cannot access the library in the traditional way ie.by going along to a Community Library. This includes services to Housebound, Residential Homes, Disabled, Adult Learners and also the women of Cornton Vale Women’s Prison. She also has responsibility for the Mobile Library Service.
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Literacy and inclusion are common themes in information use. We often think of disadvantaged communities that require unique ideas and solutions. Imagine now the issues that may arise for a female prisoner and their rehabilitation. Complex issues such as emotion, educational and social well being are often made worse by self esteem issues associated with literacy and expression. This case study considers a project in Scotland that tackles these issues head on. 
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