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Radical Aust'n prison program to test inmates for literacy, numeracy skills 

Xinhua, November 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Every prison inmate in the Australian state of Victoria will be forced to sit an academic test -- and be offered vocational training -- in a radical new program aimed at decreasing the number of criminals returning to jail.

Victoria's Corrections Minister, Wade Noonan, said only a fraction of prisoners -- 40 percent -- have literacy and numeracy skills that would be considered adequate to land a job.

The new 55 million U.S. dollar program, which will test for fundamental academic skills, is an attempt to broaden prisoners' horizons by making them more employable.

"I think that prisoners face many obstacles when they transition back in to the community," Noonan said in statement on Monday.

"But it's very clear that if they can gain a job or perhaps entering into further training, that can be the key for many to move away from a life of crime."

Victoria's prison system is threatening to burst at the seams after it was revealed in January that the state's inmate population had reached an all-time high at 6,506.

The number of criminals who reoffend and end up behind bars is another cause for concern, according to Noonan, despite Victoria remaining below the national average.

"We want to reduce the rate at which prisoners reoffend and return to prison," Noonan said.

"We think that addressing basic skill needs such as improving reading, writing and numeracy will become really a key in order to reduce that recidivism rate which currently sits at about 44 percent."

In September, Victoria's Ombudsman referred 25 recommendations to the government after an in-depth analysis of the state's prisons, with many centered on providing better rehabilitation for convicts before their eventual release.

The report found the average prisoner costs Victorian taxpayers 190 U.S. dollars each day.

The government plans to begin testing on Jan. 1 next year, with all inmates -- including those in remand or with short sentences -- expected to take part. Endit