Rowling supports learners in prison
Emma said on her website that new pictures from the Harry Potter studio r around the corner!
Harry Potter author JK Rowling gave prisoners learning to read a “real boost” when she visited them in jail.
The millionaire author presented awards to inmates at Edinburgh Prison.
Rowling, whose writing has brought her millions of fans worldwide, was invited to carry out the honours by the Shannon Trust. The London-based charity helps prisoners across the UK learn to read.
David Ahern of the Trust said: “We were delighted that JK Rowling was able to visit. She gave the prisoners a real boost.
“Some were just starting out on the scheme and this gave them a real incentive to continue learning.
“Prison can be a lonely place for learners so knowing there are international figures like JK Rowling supporting them makes a huge difference to them.”
According to the charity, 65% of all prisoners have a reading age of 11 years or under. This stops them from finding employment on release, making them three times more likely to reoffend than those who go on to get a job.
The Toe by Toe reading programme sees prisoners teach other inmates to read with the support of mentors.
Rowling said following her visit on March 4: “I am pleased to be able to support the Shannon Trust’s work, and it was a very positive experience to go and see the Toe by Toe scheme in action and meet some of the mentors and mentees.
“Learning to read represents a significant turning point in anyone’s life, and may be the one thing that makes a difference to help people in prison turn their lives around.”
Good for Jo. These cons need to learn something that will enable them to re-habilitate and give them at least one skill to get their lives back on track.
Well her…!!
i posted the update of emma’s site..after someone mutual contacted me.
As soon as I read the title of this article, the opening theme song from the movie “Let’s Go To Prison” just popped into my head…
It’s great that she’s going to that prison to support prisoners who are learning to read. It shows she’s a really nice and caring person. I don’t think there even is a charity like that in America. The only celebrities that I’ve ever heard of going to jails in America are comics, trying to give them a laughter boost… JK Rowling’s giving them a learning boost. It really is nice of her, we should have a charity like that here…
Sorry for the double comment, but I just thought of something…
Don’t hate on me for saying this, but I think this is a little weird. Really nice of her, but it’s a really weird scenario. I mean, it’s like a prisoner saying “I raped my girlfriend then gagged her to a chair, but at least I can read now!”, then she gives him his award. I know it’s because they’re learning to read and they’re changing their life somewhat for the better, and I know some or most prisoners are in jail for less than what I said, but it’s still odd in my mind.
Emma reply on March 30th, 2008:
Prisoners shouldn’t better themselves? Criminals they may be, but they are also human.
Kristin M. reply on March 30th, 2008:
I agree with what you said, I think it’s great if criminals can better themselves, learn how to read and completely turn their lives around. But at that moment that I read the article, it’s just the thought I got on the situation of the whole thing. I in no way am saying they don’t deserve to turn their lives around.
It’s just that when I think of criminals, I think of them as not being sorry or regretful for what they did. Like if some prisners that do something(like what I said in my origional comment), learn how to read and get that award from JK Rowling, get out of jail, then thrown back in jail a month later for doing the same exact thing they got in jail for origionally…
Emma reply on March 31st, 2008:
The whole point is to make them less likely to re-offend through education. Which in turn helps society accept them as changed people. Without that, they are prejudiced against and will more than likely commit another crime to return to the relatively safe confines of prison.
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