--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The literacy level at Mississippi…" description: "\"The literacy level at Mississippi prisons? Fifth grade. Can't read, what are you going to do? If you've got a conviction rap, what are you going to do?..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/marian-wright-edelman-2216_conviction_the-literacy-level-at-mississippi-prison_2520290.png" --- # The literacy level at Mississippi prisons? Fifth grade… ![“The literacy level at Mississippi prisons? Fifth grade. Can't read, what are you going to do? If you've got a conviction rap, what are you going to do? It's a real crisis.” quote by Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/marian-wright-edelman-2216_conviction_the-literacy-level-at-mississippi-prison_2520290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/marian-wright-edelman-2216_conviction_the-literacy-level-at-mississippi-prison_2520290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/marian-wright-edelman-2216_conviction_the-literacy-level-at-mississippi-prison_2520290.png) > “The literacy level at Mississippi prisons? Fifth grade. Can't read, what are you going to do? If you've got a conviction rap, what are you going to do? It's a real crisis.” [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Low literacy in prisons hampers rehabilitation and perpetuates cycles of crime. **In simple terms:** Prison literacy is a crisis. Key Takeaway Invest in prison education. Themes education justice rehabilitation Mood concerned urgent Type advocacy informational When to use this quote - prison reform - adult education - policy advocacy Key Concepts literacy systemic inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can communities support prison literacy? - What policies could improve education access? A Different Perspective Funding and political will are limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Conviction Rap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction-rap-1242710/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fifth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth/) [Fifth grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth-grade/) [Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Literacy Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy-level-1242708/) [Mississippi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi/) [Mississippi Prisons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi-prisons-1242709/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Rap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rap/) [Read Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-going-910190/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) ## Related quotes > [Books that kids read should be about what is going on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/books-that-kids-read-should-be-about-what-is-going-on-in-the-world/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [If you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/if-you-can-t-read-it-s-going-to-be-hard-to-realize-dreams/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [I write for the same reason I read: to find out what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-write-for-the-same-reason-i-read-to-find-out-what-s-going-to-happen/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“I read somewhere that if you’re going through Hell, keep going. It’s the only way past it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/i-read-somewhere-that-if-you-re-going-through-hell-keep-going-it-s/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [I advise writing to oneself. If you don't want to read it, nobody else is going to read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-hinton/i-advise-writing-to-oneself-if-you-don-t-want-to-read-it-nobody-else/) [S. E. Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-hinton/) > [My wife and I love to read. We're going to have to move out to make room for the books! And we have our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/my-wife-and-i-love-to-read-we-re-going-to-have-to-move-out-to-make/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) > [The technology's going to change, but what people want to read is going to be basically the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-technology-s-going-to-change-but-what-people-want-to-read-is/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“Lucky Luke: I wonder how you manage to read with everything that's going on. Jolly Jumper: By turning the pages just like everyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris/lucky-luke-i-wonder-how-you-manage-to-read-with-everything-that-s/) [Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris/) > [It was very clear to me in 1965, in Mississippi, that, as a lawyer, I could get people into schools, desegregate the schools, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-was-very-clear-to-me-in-1965-in-mississippi-that-as-a-lawyer-i/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I remember when I was in the fifth grade - I was like, 'I want out of this. I want to do home-schooling. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-mclaughlin/i-remember-when-i-was-in-the-fifth-grade-i-was-like-i-want-out-of/) [Caleb McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-mclaughlin/) > [I got into therapy in the fifth grade because I said in a sarcastic way that I was going to kill myself, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-got-into-therapy-in-the-fifth-grade-because-i-said-in-a-sarcastic/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [I've been home-schooled since I was in the fifth grade, mainly because I had two brothers who were acting. We were from Kansas but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-schmidt/i-ve-been-home-schooled-since-i-was-in-the-fifth-grade-mainly-because/) [Kevin Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-schmidt/) > [I stumbled upon Charles White purely by chance while looking through a book 'Great Negroes, Past and Present' in the library at Forty-Ninth Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-stumbled-upon-charles-white-purely-by-chance-while-looking-through/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [You can go as far back as fifth grade, and you will find me tinkering with media and computers, making things that are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/you-can-go-as-far-back-as-fifth-grade-and-you-will-find-me-tinkering/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know? I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/everybody-either-wanted-to-take-care-of-me-or-push-me-around-you-know/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) ## More by Marian Wright Edelman > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. I just had to do what I had to do, and it never occurred to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/i-never-thought-i-was-breaking-a-glass-ceiling-i-just-had-to-do-what/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [In my generation, we learned how to be leaders by being exposed to and involved with adults who empowered us and gave us a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/in-my-generation-we-learned-how-to-be-leaders-by-being-exposed-to-and/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [The old notion that children are the private property of parents dies very slowly. In reality, no parent raises a child alone. How many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-old-notion-that-children-are-the-private-property-of-parents-dies/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [When Jesus Christ asked little children to come to him, he didn't say only rich children, or White children, or children with two-parent families,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/when-jesus-christ-asked-little-children-to-come-to-him-he-didn-t-say/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“Don’t feel entitled to anything you don’t sweat and struggle for”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/don-t-feel-entitled-to-anything-you-don-t-sweat-and-struggle-for/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You can't tell parents to teach children the value of work when we don't have jobs and the jobs we have don't pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-can-t-tell-parents-to-teach-children-the-value-of-work-when-we/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/to-all-those-mothers-and-fathers-who-are-struggling-with-teen-agers-i/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It really takes a community to raise children, no matter how much money one has. Nobody can do it well alone. And it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-really-takes-a-community-to-raise-children-no-matter-how-much/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Democracy cannot breathe, indeed will die, if those enjoined to protect it and uphold the laws snuff it out - with no consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/democracy-cannot-breathe-indeed-will-die-if-those-enjoined-to-protect/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/hunger-and-malnutrition-have-devastating-consequences-for-children/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [We're spending, on average, three times more for prison than for public-school pupils. That's the dumbest investment policy. It doesn't make us safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-re-spending-on-average-three-times-more-for-prison-than-for-public/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You'd better stay determined, because that's how our ancestors got us where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-d-better-stay-determined-because-that-s-how-our-ancestors-got-us/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) [Explore all 179 Marian Wright Edelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## More Conviction quotes > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/for-a-successful-revolution-it-is-not-enough-that-there-is-discontent/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) > ['Peace on earth, good will toward men' - democracy must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-on-earth-good-will-toward-men-democracy-must-cling-to-that/) [Franklin D. 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