Providing Bibles for Prisoners

• Over half of the adults incarcerated in U.S. federal and state prisons cannot read or write and
  have less than an eighth-grade education.
• Incarcerated adults in the U.S. have among the lowest academic attainment and literacy rates,
  and the highest disability rates.
• Of all federal and state inmates, only 41 percent have earned a high school diploma or GED.

Based on these statistics, volunteers need to be sensitive when asking someone to read Bible verses aloud. Those with lower reading skills often struggle and feel embarrassed. If you know a prisoner reads at a lower reading level, consider using one of these Bible translations:

• New International Readers Version or NIRV—grades 3 or 4
• Easy to Read Version or ERV—grade 4
• New Century Version or NCV—grade 5.6
• Contemporary English Version or CEV—grade 5.4