Problems and Challenges in the Teaching of Literacy in Correctional Facilities

Methamphetamine Use and Learning Disabilities 

Current practices in the teaching of literacy and reading in correctional facilities generally assumes that the all students are able to master the complexities of basic literacy and reading.  However, this standard view many times fails to address the learning disabilities of many of the students in our classes who have neurological problems of a nature that profoundly affect learning. This is more so when these problems have been brought about due to the drug of choice among the majority of inmates in California’s correctional facilities:  the use of methamphetamine.

The abstract Methamphetamine Use and Learning Disabilites (link below) attempts to address some of these fundamental problems and offer some possible solutions regarding the teaching of literacy and reading for those who exhibit neurological pathologies due to long-term use of drugs, especially  the use of methamphetamine.  Although I have an educational and professional background in literacy and reading I do not claim to be exceptionally informed or formal training in learning disabilities, especially disabilities related to chronic drug abuse.  I have for a long time been interested in learning and short and long-term memory processing, in particular memory related to language learning and the phonological processes that occur during literacy acquisition and reading.  The fundamental and necessary study of phonological processes in the recognition of phonemic and letter-sound correspondences is critical in any language learning process.   

Although there is a much information about learning disabilities (see Wikipedia’s Learning Disability), this information is predominately on disabilities among children and their effect on learning.  This seemingly paucity of information may only be due to my own lack of knowledge of where and what to look for while attempting my own research in this area.  If this lack of knowledge is the primary reason as to why I have as yet obtained information then I will in the next few weeks and month try to be more diligent in researching this information.  If the reason is, as I suspect, because little research has been done in the study of short and long-term memory, especially in language learning in general and literacy in particular, an attempt will be needed to devise a curriculum particular to re-mediate the problems for those who are learning impaired.  A caveat must be stated that such a curriculum will not guarantee success.  Neurological functions may be so impaired that no amount of teaching will succeed.

Such curriculum will not be developed quickly.  First, a thorough review of the literature regarding learning disabilities among those who have had prolonged use of methamphetamine use will need to be undertaken.  Then, specific knowledge as to what neurological process are necessary for phonological skills to be developed for initial literacy skills to be achieved have to be identified (if this, indeed, is possible among long-term users of methamphetamine).  If neurological injury is to such an extent that learning may be permanently impaired, then resources for the teaching of basic literacy skills for this group may be needed to be allocated proportionally according a student’s ability to learn (or relearn) new tasks.  I will elaborate on this more fully in the abstract itself.

In addition to the abstract I have included links to the revised RALP program and evaluations of the program initiated and taught between June 2005 and November 2006.

     Prison Library

Links to Documents

Abstract on Methamphetamine Use and Reading Disabilities

• Revision of RALP February 2005
• Class Evaluations for RALP