Improving the reading skills of incarcerated people opens up a world of opportunities for them and their families, says a community organizer of a volunteer-run literacy program.
“Helping someone read better is like tossing pebbles in a pond, except the ripples transform generations,” said George Dykstra, program director of the non-profit Free to Succeed.
Free to Succeed has been helping prisoners at San Quentin State Prison improve their reading skills for 15 years. The volunteers hope that once the students become better readers, they will earn their GED, which will allow them to enroll in San Quentin’s college program.
“I think if more people knew about the program, they’d participate in it,” said participant Stanley Durden. “Since I began the program seven years ago, I know that my reading has improved. All of the volunteers help me in different ways.”
“People feel better about themselves when they learn to read. They can pick up a book and learn new things,” said Jane Levinsohn, a volunteer for six years.
Volunteer Daniel Costello said he wants to do something about California’s high recidivism rate. He said the more education an inmate gets, the better his chance of not coming back.
Costello said better reading skills enrich the person’s ability to communicate with those around them.
“There’s a lot of Spanish guys who come in the class to learn English,” said Durden.
One of the newest volunteers is Chirag Dalibar. “I identify with people who want to get an education against overwhelming odds,” he said.
Dalibar, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, said coming inside San Quentin and working with prisoners is inspirational. “It’s hard to make someone understand what I get out of this experience,” he said. “It’s like food for my soul.”
Dykstra is seeking to add to his staff of volunteers. He says the recent influx of new inmates at San Quentin will quickly fill the open seats in the classroom.
The program is located in the Education Department and is open Monday through Friday from 6-8:30 p.m.
