Illiteracy in Prison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Illiteracy in Prison - Research Paper Example It is important to understand the notion of illiteracy when related to the prison system. Contemporary research has shown a very high rate of illiteracy in the prison system and it is well to inquire whether this is a consequence of various factors or it is just a mere coincidence. The prison system that the country uses today and in the 20th century is the same. In the 20th century, the prisons experienced major reforms in terms of the structure and the staffing. However, one major aspect that the system did not accommodate was the technological characteristic. Technology in major institutions is one very important characteristic as in the 21st century; most of the education relayed to students is through technology. For example, calculators have come in as a great deal to serve the contemporary students with faster ways of calculating in fields such as chemistry, physics and mathematics. The fact that there has not been any introduction of the new technology devices in the prison s ystem is a factor showing that it is not a coincidence that there is a lack of literacy in the prison system. Where there are these gadgets in the prison system, many inmates would develop professional knowledge that would assist them in the advancements of a career. Upon release from the system, they would get proper jobs that would help them shun all criminal activities thus making the environment a safer place. Lack of the gadgets in the prisons encourages the prisoners to engage in or form illegal groups in prisons (Haigler, O'Connor, and Campbell, 2008). The economic condition in the outside world is one other factor linked to the high amount of illiteracy in the prisons. In the contemporary times, the rates of recession have been steadily on the rise and thus making people engage in activities that will serve to help them gain a meal for the day. The economic factors extend so far such as even professionals such as doctors engage in activities that do not fit their job descrip tion. An example of this is a doctor who may go way out of his career path to sell prescription drugs to addicts in an effort to make the extra cash. These conditions affect the professionalism of people and when they stray to carry out activities that do not suit them, the resulting factor is the lack of essence to the career that a person has. With the lack of essence, it is common to find the person forfeiting his job and concentrating on the illegal side job as a whole. Through this, the person may lose certain concepts taught in the professional school attended due to lack of practice and this would eventually render a former literate person illiterate. In the connection to the prison system, the person is sent to prison and hence the high number of illiteracy in the facilities. Other factors that lead to illiteracy in prison are political factors. In the community, the high rate of unemployment leads to people suffering and searching for means to gain income. One of the most c ommon times that people engage in these activities is during political campaigns. Political campaigns are a very noticeable aspect of the community and politicians often go ahead to look for people to spread their popularity in various regions with the promise of a certain amount of fund. Many of the politicians do not pay the campaigners until the campaign is over and the results announced. This one factor motivates campaigners to work very hard in an effort to please the party candidate. Many