Scottish Prisoners to Get Nintendo DS Consoles, Brain Training Software

The Times Online reports that prisoners in Scotland will be given Nintendo DS game consoles equipped with brain training software, in a bid to improve inmate literacy and mathematic ability. The report cited "Learning in Custody: Report of the Offender Learning in Custody Workstream," a government study into prisoner education. "Initial findings suggest it is both motivational and enables less confident learners to close the gap on others," the report reads. "Children who were behind in numeracy using traditional methods of teaching were able to catch up with their peers within a very short space of time using brain training on a Nintendo DS." "Learning in Custody" suggests an upcoming trial of the proposed program in a small number of prison libraries, conducted in cooperation with literacy providers. "We are anxious to improve the life skills of prisoners and sharpen their education skills," said a spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service, speaking to The Times. "One of the key factors in reducing reoffending is improving employability. To get a job you have to focus on literacy and numeracy, which these Nintendo DS consoles will do."