New York Inspector General Lucy Lang says dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities can be a roadblock for people young or old. She knows the struggle well after her child was diagnosed with it last year.
“I've witnessed the frustration and alienation that can come with inadequate reading education," Lang said.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, New York is 45th in the nation in literacy rate. Amid a statewide push for an overhaul of literacy education, Lang is ensuring one group isn’t being overlooked: incarcerated students in the state’s prisons and juvenile centers.
What You Need To Know
- New York state is looking to overhaul it's reading education strategy at schools statewide
- The state inspector general wrote a letter to officials from state corrections, education and family services, urging them to keep incarcerated students top of mind during this reform
- She says that incarcerated students are more likely to be illiterate
“Our office felt it was critically important to elevate the needs of learners in those incredibly vulnerable populations, including the custody of the state Department of Corrections and the Office of Children and Family Services, secure juvenile detention facilities," she said.
Lang has experience there. She taught inmates when she was a prosecutor. That led her to write to education and corrections officials in the state, encouraging they prioritize incarcerated students who typically have fewer resources and higher rates of illiteracy.
Lang said this issue is a matter of a person’s civil rights.
“Literacy is a civil right," she said. "In order to be a full and active participant in American society and in New York state, people need to have the tools to read.”
Spectrum News 1 reached out to the New York State Education Department and state Office of Children and Family Services, and have not heard back.
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement that it “has the goal that every incarcerated individual possesses a high school credential prior to release.”