Prison Reform and the Literacy Project

Selected sections from the handbook of the Prison Literacy Project, which was part of a larger prison reform program, written in 1984 for an audience of politicians and fellow citizens all weighing in on the subject of prison reform and the methods Mitchell Blatstein and Trish Mumme were suggesting with the PLP. The section entitled "Vision and Purpose states plainly that the goal is to communicate that people inside and outside of prisons are all part of the same community (5). With the intended results and accomplishments, one can see what those participating in the project were aiming to do in btoh the short term and long term of its lifespan. A great amount of emphasis is placed on the empowerment of both students and the imprisoned. In the conclusion, the authors restate that the project has been relatively successful and their are plans in place to continue/expant the prison literacy project, so long as their are volunteers available and work to be done.

The State of Our Prisons: The Case At Graterford came from “The Ursinus Weekly” published back in October 20,1972 written by local Ursinus student, John Fidler. John Fidler’s primary objective in crafting his headline was to undertake firsthand research by immersing himself in one-on-one experience within the prison’s environment. His intention was twofold: to inform the public about the substantial advancements in the  implementation of new rehabilitation programs for inmates at Graterford Prison and to shed light on the transformative potential of such initiatives. While reading this headline, John Fidler seemed to have aimed at multiple targets to convey his message. For starters, he mentions the assistance of Ursinus College and how the school’s incorporation of its facilities will be beneficial towards the inmates. Fidler writes, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Ursinus College would invite some of the inmates at Graterford to use the beautiful facilities in Helferich Hall? After all, there is no gym at Graterford where the men might play basketball...” (Fidler, 5) Fidler’s proposal underscores the potential symbiotic relationship between educational institutions like Ursinus and correctional facilities like Graterford. By advocating for the utilization of Ursinus’s facilities, Fidler emphasized the transformative power of access to resources and opportunities for incarcerated individuals. In addition, John Fidler seems to call out popular news articles like The New York Times and The Independent targeting their readers, warning them of information not being 100% covered. Fidler writes, “Accuracy is a key to a good newspaper story... This policy is true with most newspapers, from The New York Times to The Independent. Or is it?” (Fidler, 5) Fidler’s critique of mainstream news outlets exposes the broader issue of journalistic integrity. He challenges readers to critically evaluate the use of social media coverage and highlights the potential pitfalls of relying on mainstream sources.