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Description:
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It has been estimated that about fifty percent of all probationers in the United States are school dropouts (Wimer , 1985 ) , with the percentages much higher among the language and ethnic minorities . Research has established a close connection between illiteracy , crime , and subsequent incarceration (Herrick , 1991 ) , suggesting that literate members of society will be less likely to engage in criminal activity . Indeed , many prison inmates have stated that their lack of education is at least partly responsible for their problems with the law (Hernandez , 1978 ; Sainz & Biggins , 1979 ) .
To combat literacy problems among adults who are less than competent in the English language , including probationers , parolees , and other offenders , many communities are now engaged in adult literacy programs . A fundamental goal of these programs is to facilitate the development of functional levels of competency in the English language by their clients . Many programs are engaged in general educational equivalency (GED ) education and skill -specific training as well . |