Task force says low literacy skills tied to crime, jobs, poverty

Findings of the task force, comprised of 17 community leaders from the business community, the justice system and human service agencies in Nevada, were released Thursday.

The task force, formed last May, cited a Nevada Department of Prisons report that says 45.4 percent of incoming inmates scored below the eighth grade level of reading, spelling and math.

"Literacy directly impacts the quality of life in Nevada," said Vicki Newell, director for Literate Nevada Project, a coordinating partner of the task force.

Newell added that 163,000 adults in Nevada are in the lowest level of literary proficiency, meaning that it's difficult for them to fill out a job application, assist their children with homework or balance a checkbook.

Newell said the lack of financial resources is the biggest problem of adult literacy programs in Nevada. The current programs reach only 20,000 adult students per year, which is only 10 percent of the estimated need.

Other needs and recommendations focused on by the task force include expanding existing education programs in prisons and jails, and providing more adult education information to human service agencies, business and potential students.

Providing such information to associations, unions, fast food franchisers and convenience stores was also recommended.

The National Institute for Literacy 1998 estimates that 15.3 percent of Nevada's adult population is at the lowest level of proficiency, which requires skills such as matching information and calculating simple one-step math problems.

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