So this is a project in my days, now, and today was the first day.
I started this book club after talking to a theater teacher that is going to the prison here, in Las Palmas, teach theater to the inmates. I asked him if there was something in the prison with books, he told me no so I proposed myself to go and start something with books and my love of books and share this passion with them. For me a book can be a very extraordinary tool for an inmate, to many levels. When I had the yes from the director of the section there in the prison that have many activities to help the reinsertion for the inmates I started to organized the book club (be part of the book clubs in the isle, go to see for books, etc.). And today was my first day.
I have to say that I was a little nervous but everything went OK. I have a little group of 10 inmates between 25 to 50 years old. Some are there since many years, others are there from some months. Some read once in a while a book, one never read a book, another is obsessed by North Korea. What I found very interesting is this need, from them, to talk about feelings. They are not angels but they are in the reinsertion section so they want a change in their life. One of the reader is there from 11 years, he is the less angel of them. I don't know why they are in prison, a lot are there because of drugs, thief...
I wanted to make them read a novel by Stephen King, Misery, but I just had 10 books so I changed it for a little novel by Leonardo Sciascia, his last book before his death, "A very simple story", a detective novel about detective novels, just 80 pages. For the next week I have another detective novel by a writer from here, that has a very easy language.
The local where I give the class is very cute, with a lot of light. There is an old inmate that is the responsible of the others, and he is my helper for anything. I made them read to see their level, they read not bad at all. But their problem is that they have difficulty to understand maybe what they read. They will learn with me. :)
I am very happy with this project that make me be able to help others with the love of books.
Thank you to listen. Maybe some of you have experience with inmates, your advice, experience or not, will be very appreciate.
I started this book club after talking to a theater teacher that is going to the prison here, in Las Palmas, teach theater to the inmates. I asked him if there was something in the prison with books, he told me no so I proposed myself to go and start something with books and my love of books and share this passion with them. For me a book can be a very extraordinary tool for an inmate, to many levels. When I had the yes from the director of the section there in the prison that have many activities to help the reinsertion for the inmates I started to organized the book club (be part of the book clubs in the isle, go to see for books, etc.). And today was my first day.
I have to say that I was a little nervous but everything went OK. I have a little group of 10 inmates between 25 to 50 years old. Some are there since many years, others are there from some months. Some read once in a while a book, one never read a book, another is obsessed by North Korea. What I found very interesting is this need, from them, to talk about feelings. They are not angels but they are in the reinsertion section so they want a change in their life. One of the reader is there from 11 years, he is the less angel of them. I don't know why they are in prison, a lot are there because of drugs, thief...
I wanted to make them read a novel by Stephen King, Misery, but I just had 10 books so I changed it for a little novel by Leonardo Sciascia, his last book before his death, "A very simple story", a detective novel about detective novels, just 80 pages. For the next week I have another detective novel by a writer from here, that has a very easy language.
The local where I give the class is very cute, with a lot of light. There is an old inmate that is the responsible of the others, and he is my helper for anything. I made them read to see their level, they read not bad at all. But their problem is that they have difficulty to understand maybe what they read. They will learn with me. :)
I am very happy with this project that make me be able to help others with the love of books.
Thank you to listen. Maybe some of you have experience with inmates, your advice, experience or not, will be very appreciate.