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US postal workers help out with the nation's largest one-day food drive. A union coalition in California advocates for worker rights amidst climate challenges. Livestock waste is polluting 'Pure Michigan' state image. And Virginia farm workers receive updated heat protection guidelines.

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Republicans seek to prevent nearly nonexistent illegal noncitizens voting, Speaker Johnson survives a motion to remove him, and a Georgia appeals court will reconsider if Fulton County DA Willis is to be bumped from a Trump case.

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Some small towns in North Dakota worry they'll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Unique Prison Program Uses Comics to Improve Literacy

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Friday, May 13, 2016   

DENVER - If you've been anywhere near downtown during Denver's Comic Con, you've probably seen swarms of people dressed up as their favorite comic book characters. But you may not know that the event's parent organization, Pop Culture Classroom, also brings literacy programs to prisons across the state. The group will kick off a new workshop Saturday at the Sterling Correctional Facility.

Illya Kowalchuk, Pop Culture Classroom's director of education, said comics can help lower barriers to learning.

"Over 60 percent of people that are in the correctional system are functionally illiterate, which means they can't read above a fourth-grade level," he said. "In addition to reducing that intimidation level, they're just cool, right? Like, comics are just cool and fun to read."

He said people in these programs start by reading graphic novels and learning how stories are told through text and artwork. Professional artists then coach the students as they create their own six-panel comic strip based on personal experiences.

Kowalchuk said the program gives many behind bars a chance to tell their own stories for the first time. He said participants are encouraged to write a story focusing on personal transformation, based on real-life events, through metaphor or something they hope to see happen in the future.

"The stories that the inmates will write about are remarkably sensitive and come from the heart in such a way that exhibits a great deal of vulnerability on their part," he said. "It's been wonderful to see them open up in that regard."

Kowalchuk said research has shown people in prison who take literacy classes have a 16 percent recidivism rate, while those who don't are more than four times more likely to end up in jail again. Comic strips and graphic novels created through the program will be featured in a special exhibit at this year's Comic Con in June.


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