NH WOMEN'S PRISON ENCOURAGES READING THROUGH A STATE GRANT

(Goffstown, NH) NH Department of Corrections Commissioner Phil Stanley announced that the New Hampshire State Prison for Women received a $1,200.00 matching grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council to sponsor a new program called "Quest for Identity." It is designed to encourage reading and stimulate discussion among the offender population. The prison's Education Department and Prison Concerns Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire will provide additional local support for this event.

The Reading Club runs on Mondays from 3-5 PM in the prison library. According to NHSP/W Program Facilitator Carole Whitcher, 12 female inmates will participate in it. The books in the series include The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, Cora Fry by Rosellen Brown, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.

"These are collections of classic and contemporary literature dealing primarily with women's issues. We are pleased that the Humanities Council provided us with the resources to encourage this kind of thought-provoking reading for our offender population," Commissioner Stanley stated.