An important part of the communication between the correctional authorities and convicted persons presupposes the ability to read and write. Reading skills among prisoners have been stated as a significant problem in a large number of studies. The written language in the Norwegian public sector has been reviewed in the last five years to improve language and decrease costs based on misunderstandings. The aim was to explore the prevalence and nature of reading problems associated to letters from the correctional service to the inmates. A cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire (n = 190) where all participants were convicted persons was used. The selection was consecutive over a period of six months. The response rate was 95%. Most inmates understood the letters (78%), but the rate of difficult words in the letter was described by 63%. The difficulties were correlated to the different security levels, giving more difficulties in the most restrictive placements. Letters responding to the participants' applications were rated as more difficult. A significant proportion of the Norwegian convicted persons reported problems in understanding parts of the letters sent to them. The consequences were in some cases humiliating and might have potential of breaching the personal legal protection.
Offenders with reading and writing difficulties have a vulnerable status in prison because they depend on some forms of assistance for communication. A large number of studies have confirmed this, but prisoners' experiences of such communication problems have been sparsely studied. Three male juvenile delinquents were interviewed about their communication problems and how they deal with these challenges in the criminal justice system. The common feature of these three cases was reading problems, but their personal characteristics were quite different, suggesting that support should be adapted individually. It remains however that the language used in the criminal justice system is too complicated and several adjustments to written communication need to be made in order to empower prisoners.
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