“There’s always a way to find a way out [. . .] education is something that no one can ever take away from you. It is a gift we can share in an institution where people don’t have a right to have a lot [. . . ] It is a gift that we are happy to share.”
– Wendy Seys, YLC coordinator
CBC journalist, Sarah Rogers, recently visited the Yamaska Literacy Council’s prison literacy program. Established over a decade ago at the Cowansville Institution, our program was featured in this radio show.
EXCERPTS FROM THE RADIO SHOW
“Every second Friday, [the Cowansville prison’s multi-faith room] hosts a number of volunteers from the nearby Yamaska Literacy Council. It’s an English-language organization in a largely French-speaking region. And here, at the federal men’s facility, it’s one of the few English-language services offered to English speakers who make up about a quarter of the prison’s population.”
– Sarah Rodgers, CBC
“There’s a huge connection between education, literacy and the corrections issue. There is an even larger problem in the prisons than what we see in the community. So, if we can help some inmates get some basic skills that they can use when they go on with life, that’s a good thing [. . . ] What we, as volunteers going into the prison, feel very strongly is the appreciation for our role here and for what we do.”
– Wendy Seys, YLC coordinator
