Essex Magazine: “Let’s get prisoners reading on World Book Day,” says tech entrepreneur

Most inmates in British prisons have a reading age lower than an 11-year-old and this is why they must be included on this year’s World Book Day, says tech entrepreneur James Tweed Promoting reading for prisoners could cut crime and reduce the UK’s reoffending rates, a tech entrepreneur has said. James Tweed, CEO of Cambridge-based digital learning platform Coracle, which provides laptops to prisoners, says it is essential inmates are encouraged to read during their time in prison. “Many prisoners have poor literacy skills and grapple with reading difficulties, making it even harder to reintegrate into society on their release,” said Tweed. “Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that 57% of adult prisoners have literacy levels below those expected of an 11-year-old,” he said. “But reading helps prisoners to learn new skills, improve their mental wellbeing and offer them a source of hope for the future. Read the feature on Essex Magazine here: