Intergenerational Literacy Programs for Incarcerated Parents and Their Families: A Review of the Literature

By
William R. Muth, Ph.D.
Virginia Commonwealth University
wrmuth@vcu.edu

May, 2006

Abstract
Researchers from many fields have reported the benefits of family literacy programs to children, parents, families, and society. Although some studies included incarcerated parents and their children, very little research has specifically targeted this growing population. This is problematic because prisoners -- particularly parents with limited literacy ability - and their children and other family members often experience profound challenges that include learning, coping, and maintaining contact. These challenges may be ameliorated, to some degree, by family literacy programs. This paper reports on what we know about the effects of prison-based family literacy programs and argues for their careful expansion. Much remains to be understood about the complexity of these programs and how they should be designed, implemented, and evaluated, in order to build on the few existing models. When feasible, on-line sources are linked to the text.

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