The second interim report into Jersey Offenders’ Basic Skills, commissioned by the Jersey Probation Service, reveals that a significant proportion of criminals in Jersey have trouble with basic literacy and numeracy skills.It says the lack of basic skills contributes to criminal offending because people without them either have few employment prospects or can get only low-paid or temporary work.The report also reveals that over 60 per cent of unemployed people in Jersey have reading levels classed as ‘poor’.Chief probation officer Brian Heath said they were not surprised by the results after seeing similar UK research, but added that, if anything, the report understated the picture.
Because the assessments were voluntary, he said, the people who had the worst problems could choose not to be assessed.