​Novel Solution to Prison Overcrowding — Reading

In the US, prisons are overcrowded–more than our fair share. (According to a 2008 NYT article, the United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population. But it has almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners. So, it’s intriguing to see the solutions; countries are using to combat their overcrowding issues…  Brazil came up with an exciting enticement: 1 book = -4 days (incarceration).

For readers, that would be a no-brainer. You’d be reading multiple books a day, right?

For those in prison, though, it’s an exciting incentive and a potentially life-altering proposition.

After all, we’ve all heard the stories of prisoners who could change their lives, get degrees, and then emerge from jail much more prepared for life (and even careers).

As a reader, I love the power of reading and books. Still, there’s something very sad: those individuals could only accomplish all they did (and have) because they were removed from negative influences and environments.