Literacy Program at Illinois Youth Center Seeks Volunteers to Mentor Young Prisoners

Strategic Insights -

The Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles, the state's largest juvenile detention center, has a pressing need for volunteers to tutor and mentor young male inmates. According to Literacy Volunteers of Illinois, about 20 people are required to spend at least an hour a week with the male inmates, while the facility for girls in Warrenville has an excess of interested volunteers. The literacy program is seeking retired teachers and college students to assist with basic English and math skills. Tutoring takes place during school hours, and volunteers must undergo a general interview and background check before being matched with a student.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles has an all-male population of 318, with an average age of 16, and is in need of about 20 volunteers to tutor and mentor the inmates.
  • The literacy program is seeking retired teachers and college students to assist with basic English and math skills, with no prior experience required.
  • Volunteers undergo a general interview and background check before being matched with a student, and must pledge a minimum of one hour a week.
  • Tutoring takes place during school hours between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the library or in a classroom.
  • The key to effective tutoring is consistency, with the same tutor for a length of time making it easier for both the volunteer and the student.
  • The help these students need includes basic English and math skills, with some students falling around sixth-grade level or below.

Statistics:

  • 318: the all-male population of the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles.
  • 20: the number of volunteers needed to tutor and mentor the male inmates.
  • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.: the school hours during which tutoring takes place.
  • 6th grade: the approximate level at which some inmate students are falling academically.
  • 30%: the relatively low percentage of interested volunteers able to assist at the Warrenville facility for girls.

Sources:

  • Literacy Volunteers of Illinois
  • Theo Stripling, spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of Illinois
  • Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles
  • Dorothy Miaso, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Illinois
  • Illinois Youth Center's Web site