EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Group 2
NAME: The PEP Project

Motto:​ “Opportunities appear when reading is near”

OUR ISSUE
Raising the literacy rate of newly-released inmates to prevent them from returning to crime

The Bahamas is known for its tropical atmosphere, clear waters, and festive Junkanoos, lively
street parades that are unique to the islands. However, beneath all the outer beauty, there are
many issues that go unseen. Crime runs rampant throughout the islands of the Bahamas, mainly
within the New Providence. According to international statistics 65% of sentences for these
crimes are less than a year, and thus the Correctional Facilities are heavily strained. Once
incarcerated, these criminals are placed into the 172.7% overcrowded prison. 70% of the inmates
are illiterate, thus unable to reenter the workforce. Less than 13% of inmates completed high
school. Adding insult to injury, a survey done by Brighter Bahamas shows that 44.8% of people
have little to no confidence that the justice system will punish the guilty. And because of the
short periods of incarceration, the correctional facilities do not have enough time or resources to
help the inmates learn skills for when they get out. We believe there are certain steps that ought
to be taken to give newly-released inmates the opportunity to get back on their feet.

THE SOLUTION
To address the issue of inmates ill-prepared for re-entering society, we have decided to create a
“safety net” for newly released inmates. A study conducted in Oklahoma in 1988 displayed clear
indication that inmates with lower literacy rates are more likely to return to custody after their
release. In Allen’s study, only 25% of inmates who received job-related training returned to the
prison. In the rest of the state of Oklahoma, 77% of inmates were detained after their initial
release.
We propose a partnership with one of the local churches called Christ Community Church and
their volunteers to create a positive environment for educating the inmates. Christ Community
Church is committed to the prison ministry in four broadways. First of all, in the proper
socialisation and spiritualism of their inmates through the preaching of the gospel, and seminars.
Both of these help inmates to develop proper relationships with one another while incarcerated
and while out of prison when released. Secondly, they are engaged in training in christian ethics
and training in necessary 4 hours of reading and writing arithmetic. Thirdly, they help with the
clothing and leading the inmates down the right path to job opportunities. The church’s men’s
and women’s ministry mainly assist the inmates when they are released. Providing food and
books, the volunteers would assist the inmates in their learning. The volunteers will be provided
with resources to teach the inmates depending on their education level. They will also be
provided with books donated by local churches and libraries​ ​to facilitate personalized learning.
With this program, we hope to help these inmates re-enter society and support themselves, in
hopes giving them a brighter future.

BRIGHT SPOTS
Many states have organized a reentry program in their community dedicated to helping recent
inmates make greater contributions to society. For example, in 1971, Jay Worrall created the
Offender Aid and Restoration program in Roanoke, Virginia. This program helped to provide
materials for the needs of offenders and has grown over the decades. In the 1990’s, the OAR
switched its focus to post-release aid including mentoring. This program has steadily increased
and even gained federal funding in 2009. Also, the Post Prison Education Program in
Washington strives to provide secondary education to recent inmates while providing them with
mentors. The volunteers try to be mentors to the recent inmates to ease their transition into the
workforce. These programs prove that educating and mentoring recent inmates effects their lives.
The inmates have an easier time finding jobs because they are equipped with the knowledge and
materials needed. Both of these programs started out small by providing books and small lessons
inside of the prison. Over the years, they steadily grew into providing post-release services which
included mentoring and numerous education classes. These programs help to prove that our
solution can lead recent inmates into new jobs and lives to improve their role in society.

POSSIBLE LOCAL ASSETS

- Project Read (Rotary)
- Brighter Bahamas
- Bahamas Department of Correction
- Elizabeth Estate Public Library
- South Beach Public Library
- Christ Community Church
- Bahamas Harvest Church
- Bahamas Faith Ministries International
- Agape Church
- St. George’s Anglican Church

OTHER POSSIBLE PARTNERS

- St John's College
- Sybil Strachan Primary School
- Eva Hilton Primary School
- Garvin Tynes Primary School
THINGS WE STILL NEED TO KNOW
- How much will local churches help?
- Where should we meet?
- How often should we meet?
- How will we advertise this to the inmates?
- Will the churches and libraries have books to donate?
- Do local churches have a prison outreach ministry?

OTHER NOTES
- 38.4% of inmates said that they have been in prison before
- 24% of convicted inmates upon their release will be convicted again
- 34.4% of prisoners ages 15-19 are unemployed
- 21.3% of prisoners ages 20-24 are unemployed

REFERENCES
“11,000 Youth Jobless on New Providence.” ​Is Popular Culture Fueling Gun Violence?​,

“Bahamas.” ​Finland | World Prison Brief,​ 1 Jan. 1998.

“Bahamas Population.” ​Countrymeters​, countrymeters.info/en/Bahamas.

“Consumer Protection Information and Complaints - Government - Non-Residents.” The

Bahamas - Government - Details, 2018,
www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/Consumers/!ut/p/b1/vZTZbqMwFIafpQ-QYrPn
kn0NEMBsNxGEUAJhSUJC4OlLRyPNqNKkN9PavjnS__vT-Y9lLMEiLGnT-_EtHY5
dm54-6oTeEUDZcBzJbhQK0EBDjsk5jIrbFL0I4icCEjz1b_HffvCPxX27P8QiNZ554aqN
kuTuHuhmazHAraoxOmEfPKSBqX2PGXhlMhABVhDSTVuzyeC9lTUPz5lzdiOLWU7
r82F_PCbTpfP3UeXcLvdWPYnJPE9eEQraKOfq2LWjfzmNATHB1bbhGIDi8u124beH
O5-OJxyaWt4mMl5N1SNWXQKa3Wyey9qh9zu5iIxifHn5IvOlqS9mFmLJU8nH1H4Jn
sRqqV1zwOJFxvx1jx8AoEHAuR7cAlLFMR-LALnzqqnX5np2KzA9fFHWfakGUMIfn
mgiCzWTZYVwI_UWRABaFQLWvAGWeIC-lTl54CKeE-xwFs3PQBv31wtQgLSBK
ODZ8LuBCmWzS1KM73AUDhQD_DTwZyNVHJv49g4_PZr_D9Sx5Jg1r-O-eQWvB
MWSzHpNkziL0zRksKCKSUZgdU7S_N3xigdTSA06qeFOzV3j8kzpwkDU6jAObCsX
K9Yb8_5870-nkpQUtYuprERn04jQ0FpQpWbhEYOVQY69yHXqnFyK2vXx0beosk3l
MpXdg0ke2vtwvwyCoddrIQd2FlOVfCuCSchoGmWpaCtNWM0j5XXmSJC9EMW0Ul
8nTcukg5vmt0ElkJddN1nuXo3bUHBJX9jkPKfFntc9ac63yz_RNwihu0m7rFX82RvuHR
fLeO4!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/​.

“Countries Compared by Education > Literacy Rate > Adult Total > % of People Ages 15 and
 above. International Statistics.” ​NationMaster.com​, NationMaster,
www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Education/Literacy-rate/Adult-total/%-of-peop
le-ages-15-and-above​.

Fielding , William J. ​A Brief Overview of the Prison Population​. 2016.

“History.” ​Opportunity. Alliance. Reentry​, ​www.oarric.org/new-page-2

“How the Bahamas Is Addressing the Country's Incarceration Rate.” ​Quality Education Is
Possible,​ Primeros Pasos, 28 July 2016.

“Prison Reform Ideas for The Bahamas.” WeblogBahamas.com,

“Bahamas Population.” ​Countrymeters,​ countrymeters.info/en/Bahamas

Quamina-Aiyejina , Lynda. ​EDUCATION FOR ALL IN THE CARIBBEAN: ASSESSMENT 2000

MONOGRAPH SERIES 24 .​ 2000,

Sutton, Heather. ​Crime and Violence in the Bahamas.​ June 2016,

“The Bahamas.” ​THE BAHAMAS: 2017 ARTICLE IV CONSULTATION—PRESS RELEASE;

AND STAFF REPORT ,​ 2017,

Vacca, James S. “Educated Prisoners Are Less Likely to Return to Prison.” December 2004,
PROJECT PLAN DRAFT

Written By: Alex Tan, Evan Dickerson, Faith Hanshaw, Grayson Epps, Hanna Bautista, Katie
Fuller, Krysten McCartney, Lily Robinson, Nate Bunger, William Wood

THE ISSUE
The Bahamas is known for its tropical atmosphere, clear waters, and festive Junkanoos, lively
street parades that are unique to the islands. However, beneath all the outer beauty, there are
many issues that go unseen. Crime runs rampant throughout the islands of the Bahamas, mainly
within the New Providence. 65% of sentences for these crimes are less than a year, and thus the
Correctional Facilities are heavily strained. Once incarcerated, these criminals are placed into the
172.7% overcrowded prison. 70% of the inmates are illiterate, thus unable to reenter the
workforce. Less than 13% of inmates completed high school. Adding insult to injury, a survey
done by Brighter Bahamas shows that 44.8% of people have little to no confidence that the
justice system will punish the guilty. And because of the short periods of incarceration, the
correctional facilities do not have enough time or resources to help the inmates learn skills for
when they get out. We believe there are certain steps that ought to be taken to give
newly-released inmates the opportunity to get back on their feet.

THE SOLUTION
To address the issue of inmates ill-prepared for re-entering society, we have decided to create a
“safety net” for newly released inmates. A study conducted in Oklahoma in 1988 displayed clear
indication that inmates with lower literacy rates are more likely to return to custody after their
release. In Allen’s study, only 25% of inmates who received job-related training returned to the
prison. In the rest of the state of Oklahoma, 77% of inmates were detained after their initial
release. We propose a partnership with one of the local churches called Christ Community
Church and their volunteers to create a positive environment for educating the inmates. Christ
Community Church is committed to the prison ministry in four broadways. First of all, in the
proper socialisation and spiritualism of their inmates through the preaching of the gospel, and
seminars. Both of these help inmates to develop proper relationships with one another while
incarcerated and while out of prison when released. Secondly, they are engaged in training about
Christian ethics as a required 4 hours of reading and writing opportunities. Thirdly, they help
with the clothing and leading the inmates down the right path to job opportunities. The church’s
men’s and women’s ministry mainly assist the inmates when they are released. Providing food
and books, the volunteers would assist the inmates in their learning. The volunteers will be
provided with resources to teach the inmates depending on their education level. They will also
be provided with books donated by local churches and libraries​ ​to facilitate personalized
learning. With this program, we hope to help these inmates re-enter society and support
themselves, in hopes giving them a brighter future.

ACKNOWLEDGING OUR BIAS

After an extensive amount of research on the subject of crime and ex-offender re-entry in the
Bahamas, it became clear to all of us that this was a large issue that we all cared about solving,
but we acknowledge that none of us have ever had to deal with the issue first hand. Because we
have all been blessed with loving families and proper education, we realize that we can never
fully understand the difficulties of reintegrating into society after prison.

BRIGHT SPOTS
Many states have organized a reentry program in their community dedicated to helping recent
inmates make greater contributions to society. For example, in 1971, Jay Worrall created the
Offender Aid and Restoration program in Roanoke, Virginia. This program helped to provide
materials for the needs of offenders and has grown over the decades. In the 1990’s, the OAR
switched its focus to post-release aid including mentoring. This program has steadily increased
and even gained federal funding in 2009. Also, the Post Prison Education Program in
Washington strives to provide secondary education to recent inmates while providing them with
mentors. The volunteers try to be mentors to the recent inmates to ease their transition into the
workforce. These programs prove that educating and mentoring recent inmates effects their lives.
The inmates have an easier time finding jobs because they are equipped with the knowledge and
materials needed. Both of these programs started out small by providing books and small lessons
inside of the prison. Over the years, they steadily grew into providing post-release services which
included mentoring and numerous education classes. These programs help to prove that our
solution can lead recent inmates into new jobs and lives to improve their role in society.

LOCAL ASSETS
● Christ Community Church
○ Group member’s local church, has existing prison outreach program
● Brighter Bahamas
○ Local literacy organization, focuses on children and family learning
● Ministry of Education
○ Government organization, focuses on the education system
● Hands for Hunger
○ Local food organization, helping provide meals for the inmates in the program

OTHER POSSIBLE PARTNERS

● Christ Community Church
○ Group member’s local church, has existing prison outreach program
 ● Literacy Nassau
○ Organization that provides literacy service to people of all ages

CURRENT SPONSORS
Christ Community Church has pledged assistance to install the program. We do not have any
other sponsors because of the communication barrier between international calls.

FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS
● Literacy is very low among inmates
● Many are in prison because they were unable to get a job due to not becoming literate
○ This is due to either dropping out of school early or being forced to work from a
young age instead of going to school
● Improving literacy among ex-offenders will help prevent them from committing more
crime
● Ex-offenders will want to learn so they can reintegrate into society
● Volunteers will be available in the Bahamas to help teach the ex-offenders
● The free meal will attract ex-offenders even if they aren’t initially interested in
self-improvement

LOGISTICS
These project components are in place to ensure a positive, safe learning environment for
inmates re-entering society.

Meal Plan
Meals will be offered to attract ex-offenders, promote conversation, and create a warm
environment for learning. Meals would provided through church volunteers and local food
organizations, such as Hands for Hunger.

Books
Donated by the community, these books will provide a foundation for learning. Gathering books
from surrounding towns would not only supply reading material for a plethora of reading levels,
but also cultivate community connections.

Community Environment
For many inmates, while serving their sentences, their cell and cellmates begin to create a sense
of home within their minds. Once released from prison, many inmates often feel as if they have
lost this “family” atmosphere, feeling lost and alone. With this program, we aim to support and
provide a new circle of people for the newly released Bahamians, helping them find security and
support through the community and volunteers.
Jobs
Using resources found in the church, local Bahamians will help the newly released inmates find
jobs after they receive the necessary education from our program. Volunteers will also help them
create their resumes and teach them about job interviews.

Raising awareness
With this program being heavily led by the church, they will raise awareness about the program
within the community in order to supply the program with volunteers. We will contact the prison
in the hopes of being able to make inmates aware of our program and the possible benefits for
them.

BUDGET PLAN FOR EACH GATHERING:

Food* Other Costs

Rice (.10 kg)- $0.30 Plates: (220)- $24.99

Loaf of Fresh White Bread (125.00 g)- $.78 Napkins (1200): $27.94

Tomato (0.20 kg)- $0.51 Cups (100): $12.99

Beef rounds (0.15 kg)- $1.40 Books: (potentially donations)

Lettuce (0.20 head)- $0.53 Writing Books- $8.00

Banana (0.25 kg)- $0.51 Pencils (150)- $12.49

Total: $90.44 per gathering

*recommended minimum amount of money for food per person: $11.37

Church will provide:

- Teaching Volunteers (Ideally ones with english/writing backgrounds)
- Extra Volunteers
- Will serve food
- Sit and talk with inmates
- (if comfortable) provide inmates with contact info for additional resource
- Space (potentially at the church)
- Books (from donations and from other churches/organizations)

TIMELINE​:
One Month-2 Weeks Before Program Begins:
- Training Volunteers in empathy, patience and communication with inmates
- Meeting a few of the inmates (create relationships, raising program awareness, etc.)
- Collecting supplies for meals
- Collecting some of the donated books

2 Weeks-1 Week
- Maintaining communication and relations with inmates
- Order/ Buy food in bulk (ask how many inmates are being released in the next week)
- Familiarize volunteers with guards/ employees of the prison to discuss safety
- Collect more donated books
- Organizing books by reading level
- Assigning volunteers to each level of reading/writing

Week of Opening
- Evaluate inmates by their level of education by the LINCS free reading and writing tests
- Maintain friendships with inmates
- Ask for feedback from inmates and volunteers on a monthly basis
- Revise the curriculums
- Order food for the next week accordingly
- Reorganize staff for the upcoming week

CURRICULUM LAYOUT
- Session on writing
- Taught by volunteer
- Provide pens/ writing books
- Would be writing about events/ things related to the books they had read last week
(1st week will be an introductory session and basics)
- Break for lunch
- Volunteers eat with inmates
- Session on reading
- Taught by volunteer
- All inmates are given the same book to read for the week
(1st week will be basics/ essentials)
- Inmates are encouraged to take more books back for the week and they can keep
the books but can return/ exchange them during the next session

POSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES
 Possible Problem Solution

It may be difficult to create a specific plan for We would cater to people with a specific
the previous inmates because they will likely education level. For example, assisting those
be at different reading levels. who haven’t finished their secondary
education or high school.

Previous inmates may not be interested in A way to motivate the previous inmates to be
attending the meetings. interested in receiving reading assistance
would be to provide a free meal at every
gathering.

Finding a reliable place to hold the meetings. A possible place to hold the meetings would
be at a local church.

Having advertisements that would effectively Advertisements would be placed throughout

reach the desired audience. the communities, outside local churches,
libraries, stores, etc.

It is more difficult to teach adults to read. Create an organized program with volunteers
to help readers at each level.

REFERENCES
“11,000 Youth Jobless on New Providence.” ​Is Popular Culture Fueling Gun Violence?,​

“Bahamas.” ​Finland | World Prison Brief​, 1 Jan. 1998.

“Bahamas Population.” ​Countrymeters,​ countrymeters.info/en/Bahamas.

“Consumer Protection Information and Complaints - Government - Non-Residents.” The

Bahamas - Government - Details, 2018,
www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/Consumers/!ut/p/b1/vZTZbqMwFIafpQ-QYrPn
kn0NEMBsNxGEUAJhSUJC4OlLRyPNqNKkN9PavjnS__vT-Y9lLMEiLGnT-_EtHY5
dm54-6oTeEUDZcBzJbhQK0EBDjsk5jIrbFL0I4icCEjz1b_HffvCPxX27P8QiNZ554aqN
kuTuHuhmazHAraoxOmEfPKSBqX2PGXhlMhABVhDSTVuzyeC9lTUPz5lzdiOLWU7
r82F_PCbTpfP3UeXcLvdWPYnJPE9eEQraKOfq2LWjfzmNATHB1bbhGIDi8u124beH
O5-OJxyaWt4mMl5N1SNWXQKa3Wyey9qh9zu5iIxifHn5IvOlqS9mFmLJU8nH1H4Jn
sRqqV1zwOJFxvx1jx8AoEHAuR7cAlLFMR-LALnzqqnX5np2KzA9fFHWfakGUMIfn
mgiCzWTZYVwI_UWRABaFQLWvAGWeIC-lTl54CKeE-xwFs3PQBv31wtQgLSBK
ODZ8LuBCmWzS1KM73AUDhQD_DTwZyNVHJv49g4_PZr_D9Sx5Jg1r-O-eQWvB
 MWSzHpNkziL0zRksKCKSUZgdU7S_N3xigdTSA06qeFOzV3j8kzpwkDU6jAObCsX
K9Yb8_5870-nkpQUtYuprERn04jQ0FpQpWbhEYOVQY69yHXqnFyK2vXx0beosk3l
MpXdg0ke2vtwvwyCoddrIQd2FlOVfCuCSchoGmWpaCtNWM0j5XXmSJC9EMW0Ul
8nTcukg5vmt0ElkJddN1nuXo3bUHBJX9jkPKfFntc9ac63yz_RNwihu0m7rFX82RvuHR
fLeO4!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/​.

“Countries Compared by Education > Literacy Rate > Adult Total > % of People Ages 15 and
above. International Statistics.” ​NationMaster.com​, NationMaster,
www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Education/Literacy-rate/Adult-total/%-of-peop
le-ages-15-and-above​.

Fielding , William J. ​A Brief Overview of the Prison Population​. 2016.

“History.” ​Opportunity. Alliance. Reentry,​ ​www.oarric.org/new-page-2

“How the Bahamas Is Addressing the Country's Incarceration Rate.” ​Quality Education Is
Possible,​ Primeros Pasos, 28 July 2016.

“Prison Reform Ideas for The Bahamas.” WeblogBahamas.com,

“Bahamas Population.” ​Countrymeters,​ countrymeters.info/en/Bahamas

Quamina-Aiyejina , Lynda. ​EDUCATION FOR ALL IN THE CARIBBEAN: ASSESSMENT 2000

MONOGRAPH SERIES 24 .​ 2000,

Sutton, Heather. ​Crime and Violence in the Bahamas.​ June 2016,

“The Bahamas.” ​THE BAHAMAS: 2017 ARTICLE IV CONSULTATION—PRESS RELEASE;

AND STAFF REPORT ​, 2017,

Vacca, James S. “Educated Prisoners Are Less Likely to Return to Prison.” December 2004,