A Literacy program designed specifically for prisoner adult learners has resumed in St.
Vincent’s two prisons after restrictions posed by the covid pandemic and volcanic
eruption interrupted the initial project. In 2020-21, 35 prisoners were involved the literacy program and a library space was refurbished in H.M. Prisons Kingstown.
The project is implemented by local NGO Hand2Earth, whose Project Coordinator Vonnie Roudette became increasingly aware of prisoners’ literacy challenges after teaching
vetiver craft and art classes to prisoners in 2015. In response, she started an inmate-
driven literacy class, sponsored by the craft program before seeking assistance to expand
prisoners’ access to basic literacy education.
In late 2018, Roudette teamed up with Literacy Education Specialist, Mrs. Lynden
Punnett, who identified a mentorship reading program for prisoners developed in the UK
by The Shannon Trust. The ‘New Leaf Literacy Project’ was then designed for St. Vincent
and approved for funding by the Maria Holder Memorial Trust in 2019.
Mrs. Punnett, who Roudette describes as ‘the driving force’ behind the literacy training,
tutored 11 prisoners in 2020 as mentors in the reading scheme and is currently teaching a
second cohort of 7 in Belle Isle Correctional Facility. The training guides prisoner mentors
through 5 teaching manuals and takes three months to train each cohort. Mentors
improve their literacy levels and are then supported to teach daily to
learners from the prison population. It takes a learner approximately 8 months to work
through all stages from beginner to functional literacy level. The project’s target is a total of 22 mentors and to have 25% of the prison population involved in the program (as The Maria Holder Memorial Trust funds Hand2Earth’s ‘New Leaf Literacy Project’
in SVG’s Prisons.mentors/librarians or learners) by the end 2024.
Many learners express the wish to be able to read to their children as an incentive for
taking up the opportunity. New Leaf Project Mentors express great satisfaction in
assisting their peers to leave prison with an ability to read well, improving their self-
esteem, work prospects and family life.
“These programs are designed to develop life skills that have proven to reduce recidivism
(reoffending)” Roudette states “Our handcraft and sustainable farming programs are built
on team work, mentorship, collaboration, training of trainers, improving communication
skills and the New Leaf Literacy project is no exception.”
In addition to establishing the library in H.M.P Kingstown the project is setting up 7
reading/study rooms on cell blocks in the Belle Isle facility so that learning activities can
continue despite staff shortages. The project has supplied blackboards, furniture, light
fittings, shelving, books and other visual reading aids for the reading rooms.
Acting Superintendent Dwayne Bailey supports the mentorship program explaining that it
can help with challenges of staff shortages in the prison, whilst also keeping prisoners
productively occupied, both of which positively impact security in the prison.
Roudette expressed her gratitude to The Maria Holder Memorial Trust for their continuing
support. “Literacy opens the door to interests and opportunities leading a person onto an
alternative life path. We have seen the transformational effects of these programs that
assign responsibilities to prisoners, improve their self esteem and significantly reduce the