Think Out Loud

What literacy looks like in Oregon’s prison system

By Rolando Hernandez (OPB)
July 5, 2022 5:03 p.m. Updated: July 6, 2022 10:49 p.m.

Broadcast: Tuesday, July 5

The exterior wall and a guard tower at a prison.

About 15% of people incarcerated in Oregon prisons are reading below an eighth grade level. Nearly half of these readers aren't enrolled in the classes they should be in.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

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About 15% people incarcerated in Oregon prisons are reading below an eighth grade level. That’s according to a recent investigation done by the Statesman Journal. It found that while state laws requires people incarcerated designated as low-level readers to be taking classes, nearly half of those aren’t enrolled in any courses. We’ll hear from education reporter Natalie Pate on her reporting and the unique challenges facing adults in custody in Oregon.

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