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2019 Annual Conference

October 8–11, 2019

St. Louis, MO

Family Literacy Behind Bars: The Read to Your Child Program in a Pennsylvania Prison

Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 11:00 AM–11:45 AM CDT
Grand A (85)
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CPAE CoConference: Research & Theory

Presentation Format Requested

CPAE CoConference Only: Emerging Issues or Research & Theory (45 Minute Concurrent)

Session Abstract

This session presents findings from a qualitative study of fathers in a family literacy program at a Pennsylvania prison. Inmates are video-recorded reading a children’s book; the DVD, book, and parent-created scrapbook are sent to the child. The presentation analyzes how incarcerated fathers perceived and used the program.

Target Audience

The target audience of this session includes researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and/or administrators who have experience or interest in correctional (prison) education and family literacy programs. Incorporating these diverse audience members into the presentation and group discussion will support the researchers’ goals of situating the research in current practice while also encouraging the expansion of family literacy programs in state correctional institutions.

Learning Outcomes

The objectives are to describe the barriers to family literacy (FL) for incarcerated parents; to explain the benefits of FL programs in correctional settings; to report findings from a pilot study of the Read to Your Child program in a state prison (the study involved initial and follow-up interviews with 11 inmates and observations while inmates were recorded reading a book for child); and to discuss implications for research and practice. Participants will learn about the increasing prevalence of incarcerated parents, how incarceration affects families, and how research participants perceived and used the program to connect with their children.

Session Description

In 2010, more than 2.7 million children in the U.S. had an incarcerated parent (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010). In Pennsylvania, two-thirds of inmates in state prisons are parents (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 2018). These figures are concerning because children of incarcerated parents are more likely to become justice-involved and to have low educational attainment as adults. For adults, incarceration often involves loss of contact with family, termination of parental rights, and other adverse outcomes. In response to the rise in parental incarceration, prison-based family literacy and book reading programs are becoming more common, but research on these initiatives is scant. This session will report on a study of fathers in the Read to Your Child program at a Pennsylvania prison--the first study of this statewide program. In this program, inmates are video-recoded reading a children’s book, followed by a personal message; the DVD, book, and a parent-created scrapbook are sent to the child. Data sources included initial and follow-up interviews with 11 fathers in the program, interviews with teachers, and observational fieldnotes. The session will outline the impacts of incarceration on families, present findings on how fathers perceived and used the program, and discuss implications for research and practice. 

Format & Technique

The session will feature a combination of a presentation and whole-group discussion. The presentation will include (1) current statistics on the growing number of incarcerated parents; (2) background on the Read to Your Child program; (3) description of the research methods (interviews and observations with 11 fathers in the program and interview with 2 teachers); and (4) research findings including verbatim quotations from interviews and data from fieldnotes. Following the presentation, a whole-group discussion will give audience members the opportunity to ask follow-up questions and share how the study relates to their research or practice.

Primary Presenter

ESTHER PRINS, Penn State
Work Title

Professor, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Program

Additional Presenters

Tabitha R Stickel, The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)
Work Title
Dr. Anna Kaiper, Ph.D., Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy, Pennsylvania State University
Work Title
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