Reading Right From Wrong - Investigating the role a Community Rehabilitation Company plays in supporting individuals who experience literacy difficult

背景：识字的定义很多，而且还在不断演变。Inglis和Aers(2008)指出，读写能力是一个人的读写能力，而国家扫盲信托基金认为说和听技能以及读写能力是发展识字的基本技能。虽然劳森和戈登(1996)指出，识字并不存在“普遍的标准”，但“功能性识字”一词试图将识字与目的联系起来，被描述为人们能够应对成年生活所需的阅读和写作技能水平。识字在日常生活中起着至关重要的作用，它的缺失造成了更广泛的不平等，破坏了福祉，并阻止了人们做出明智的选择或为经济和文化生活做出全面贡献。扫盲项目制作了文盲字母表，基于大量令人心酸的证据，这些证据表明，文盲是人类面临的几乎所有主要问题的根源。他们认为，支持人们阅读和写作将有助于减少疾病的传播，使人们摆脱贫困，减少不平等。识字是国家的优先事项。道格拉斯(2017)估计，到2025年，文盲将使英国GDP损失约340亿GB。根据国家扫盲信托基金的数据，英格兰大约15%的成年人(510万人)缺乏基本的识字技能。研究表明，低识字率与犯罪之间存在联系。低识字率是囚犯群体的一个明显特征。Kozol(1985)指出了识字和犯罪之间的因果关系：“虽然对文盲男性和女性的刑事定罪不能完全认定为不能读写，但60%的监狱囚犯读不超过年级这一事实肯定提供了一些迹象，表明他们犯罪活动的一个主要原因。虽然这指的是美国的情况，但英国也出现了类似的情况。监狱改革信托基金(2018年)发现，超过一半(54%)的入狱人员被评估为具有11岁以上儿童的识字技能，是普通成年人(15%)的三倍以上。Hendricks等人(2016)在加州青年管理局部门的研究后讨论了阅读能力和累犯速度之间的关系。研究发现，“阅读能力低的人更有可能在三个月内复发，而阅读能力较高的人更有可能在第四个月到第十五个月期间再次复发。”这一点得到了Heller(1994)的支持，指出了累犯率和教育之间的反向关系，即一个人接受的教育越多，他们被再次逮捕或重新监禁的可能性就越小。刑事司法系统以书面形式提供的信息为基础。不理解提交给他们的信息可能会对违法者产生影响，包括不理解警告信、判刑前报告和具体干预措施，最终可能导致不遵守规定。在博伊斯-科特雷尔(2014)的研究中，缓刑监督官指出，低识字水平会缩小你对罪犯的选择范围，特别是指经过认证的课程，因为它们有书面元素。他们认为，对识字水平较低的人进行缓刑干预不太成功。这是一个重要的研究领域，因为Morrisroe(2014)指出，提高识字水平“可能是防止卷入犯罪风险的一种保护措施”。

Background:The definitions of literacy are many and continually evolve. Inglis and Aers (2008) noted it is a person's ability to read and write whereas the National Literacy Trust considered speaking and listening skills as well as the ability to read and write as essential skills in developing literacy. Whilst Lawson and Gordon (1996) noted there is no 'universal standard of literacy,' the phrase 'functional literacy' attempts to link literacy to purpose and is described as the level of skill in reading and writing that people need to be able to cope with adult life.Literacy plays a vital role in daily living and its absence creates wider inequality, undermines wellbeing and prevents people from making informed choices or offering a full contribution to economic and cultural life. Project Literacy produced the Alphabet of Illiteracy, based on a body of evidence poignantly illustrating 'that illiteracy is the root cause of almost every major problem humanity faces'. They argue that supporting people to read and write will help to reduce the spread of disease, lift people out of poverty and reduce inequality. Literacy is a national priority. Douglas (2017) estimated by 2025 illiteracy will cost UK GDP an estimated £34 billion. According to the National Literacy Trust around 15% (5.1 million people) of adults in England lack basic literacy skills. Research demonstrates a relationship between low literacy and crime. Low literacy is a characteristic evident in the prisoner population. Kozol (1985) noted the causal relationship between literacy and offending: 'While criminal conviction of illiterate men and women cannot be identified exclusively with inability to read and write, the fact that 60 per cent of prison inmates cannot read above the grade level surely provides some indication of one major reason for their criminal activity'. Whilst this was referring to the U.S. situation, a similar picture unfolds in the UK. The Prison Reform Trust (2018) found over half (54%) of people entering prison were assessed as having literacy skills expected of an 11 year old over three times higher than in the general adult population (15%). Hendricks et al (2016) discussed the relationship between reading ability and speed of recidivism following research by the California Department of the Youth Authority. It found 'those with low reading ability were more likely to recidivate within three months, while those with higher reading ability were more likely to recidivate during the fourth through fifteenth months'. This is supported by Harer (1994) noting the inverse relationship between recidivism rates and education which is the more education a person receives the less likely they are to be re-arrested or re-imprisoned.The criminal justice system is based on information presented in a written format. Failure to understand the information presented to them may have implications for offenders, including failure to understand warning letters, pre-sentence reports and specified interventions, ultimately this could result in non-compliance. In the Boyce-Cottrell (2014) study, probation officers noted low literacy levels narrowed 'your options of what you can do with offenders' specifically referring to accredited programmes because of a written element to them. They considered probation interventions to be less successful with people who had low literacy levels. This is an important research area because Morrisroe (2014) noted improving literacy levels 'could be a protective measure against the risk of involvement in crime'.