The John Howard Society of Newfoundland

Computer Based Integrated Learning Program

by Gord Butler, Community Resource Director, John Howard Society of Newfoundland

The John Howard Society of Newfoundland supports inmate education, particularly in the area of literacy, through its Computer Based Integrated Learning Program. The program was once again financially supported by the National Literacy Secretariat, and received additional financial support from the Department of Justice and Correctional Service of Canada. Moreover, it has obtained a total of approximately $100,000 in corporate and foundation support, and it continues to enjoy excellent support and cooperation from numerous other agencies throughout the province.

Recent Highlights

• JHS - Newfoundland sustained partnerships with other agencies, including Labrador Legal Services, local Literacy Councils, the Sisters of Mercy, the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD), the Atlantic Construction Training Centre, the College of the North Atlantic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Literacy Development Council, etc.
• The Program also began to expand the overall client base to include Youth Corrections, and has enjoyed the support of Youth Corrections staff in some new developmental activities.
• Adult Corrections has increased its commitment to inmate education. As of the beginning of fiscal year 1998-99, all Provincial Correctional Centres have at least one full-time instructor.
• $20,500 in donations from foundations and corporations was used to purchase new hardware and software for five of the Correctional Centres.
• During John Howard Week in February of 1998, the Society presented Certificates of Appreciation to both Laubach Literacy of Newfoundland and the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, in recognition of the thousands of volunteer hours provided by these agencies to clients throughout the province.

The program has had an impact on both Correctional Centres and community residential programs. Since it began approximately five years ago, the level of participation by inmates in educational programs has increased from approximately ten percent to an average of fifty percent in the five institutions where it has been introduced. At the Community Corrections Centre and the John Howard Society’s halfway houses in St. John’s and Stephenville, Laubach volunteers assisted clients in basic literacy, and other volunteers provided tutoring in various computer applications.

In order to support Correctional Centres and community based programs in making effective use of community resources, the Society organized a workshop in St. John’s, with financial assistance from the Department of Justice and Correctional Service of Canada. There were thirteen participants, which included instructors and volunteer coordinators from all of the Provincial Correctional Centres and three halfway houses in Newfoundland. In addition, special presentations were provided by Isabella Frye, Newfoundland Coordinator for Laubach Literacy of Canada, and Charles Ramsey, Executive Director of the National Adult Literacy Database.

Some of the Action Items that emerged from the workshop are as follows:

• Compiling an inventory of community resources that can be used and/or exchanged among instructors throughout the province.
• Establishment of an email list server, courtesy of NALD, that will facilitate networking among instructors and volunteer coordinators in institutions and halfway houses.
• Subscriptions for the NALD site CD’s for all Correctional Centres.
• Action plans for soliciting and maintaining local community support.

The instructors and volunteer coordinators were particularly interested in the wealth of resources available from NALD.

At present, the John Howard Society of Newfoundland and the John Howard Society of Canada are working with these same individuals and agencies to develop a process whereby they can enhance the level of literacy resources via the Internet, in cooperation with NALD, and they hope to achieve some new and exciting objectives over the next year.

The John Howard Society of Newfoundland has a Website at : http://www.johnhoward.nf.ca/comp/literacy.htm