Dedication to tutoring inmates acknowledged

Lei Graham teaches numeracy and literacy to inmates at Kaitoke Prison every Monday afternoon. Photo/Stuart Munro

Lei Graham is so passionate about the power of literacy and numeracy skills to reduce reoffending she gives every Monday afternoon to the cause.

"I'm passionate about it - my whole life has been based around assisting people," she said.

Mrs Graham works as a volunteer for Corrections, tutoring inmates in numeracy and literacy at Kaitoke Prison.

This week the Wanganui woman was one of only four of the more than 2000 Corrections volunteers to receive special recognition for her dedication.

Mrs Graham works at Land Based Training in Wanganui tutoring in a similar field, but each Monday afternoon she heads to Kaitoke to do it for free. The aim of the course is to aid Corrections' goal of 25 per cent less re-offending by 2017.

She said numeracy and literacy skills were vital in helping people feel they had something to contribute to society. "It's about empowering them with the ability to work things through," she said. "That's where the reward comes, when you see the gains."

She said the volunteer role was more than just teaching but finding common ground with the inmates and making connections that allowed them to learn.

"My role as a tutor is to look at what switches you on. We have heaps of fun, we talk about life, basic life stuff."

Through her work with Rotary she started a project for dictionaries to be donated to prisoners. Since 2011 Rotary has donated 60 dictionaries to prisoners at Whanganui Prison.

Corrections national volunteer advisor Barbara Jennings hailed Mrs Graham's work.

"Working with small groups of prisoners, she makes it a positive experience so they come back the next time with their homework complete," she said. "They gain the confidence needed to move into a classroom environment and carry on with their learning."

Mrs Graham said she was thrilled with the award.

"It blew me away to be quite honest."

She said she was fortunate her employer allowed her to attend Rotary meetings and tutor at the prison on Monday afternoons.