Strengthening numeracy in prisons

The main objectives are to strengthen incarcerated adults’ numeracy skills and motivation for education and to reduce the high prevalence of low numeracy skills and attitudes in the prison populat...

The main objectives are to strengthen incarcerated adults’ numeracy skills and motivation for education and to reduce the high prevalence of low numeracy skills and attitudes in the prison population, boosting employability and reintegration outcomes. Therefore, we aim to better identify incarcerated individuals with low numeracy, strengthen teacher capacity, establish supportive networks, and raise stakeholder awareness on the impact of numeracy skills on daily life, work, and reintegration.

Activities include developing, piloting, and implementing a numeracy assessment toolkit for prisons in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland to evaluate low-level numeracy and negative attitudes towards numeracy without inducing math anxiety; Professional development sessions for teachers addressing numeracy challenges and engaging with toolkit usage for educational resources; Dissemination of re-sources and results to stakeholders, incarcerated adults, educators, researchers, and policymakers.

This project will produce a numeracy assessment toolkit addressing skills and attitudes suitable and sensitive for the prison context, professional development materials, awareness packages, and guidelines for implementation. Expected outcomes are enhanced staff expertise, toolkit use, and improved perceptions of numeracy. We aim for lasting effects of addressing low numeracy skills, continued use of the screening protocol for incarcerated individuals, and fostering a community among teachers.