Key Findings

• Results show that the Storybook Dads programme can produce gains in participant’s literacy development in a very short time and the programme positively affects relationships. Children are also motivated to learn and the men involved think more positively about themselves and their roles as fathers.
• All prisoners expressed value in Storybook Dads and more than half reported that their participation in Storybook Dads had fostered their child’s literacy development. Six (60%) primary caregivers and family/whānau members also thought that a father’s participation in Storybook Dads had improved his child’s literacy.
• More than half the prisoners reported that their relationships were better or much better with their child, and other family/whānau members as a consequence of their participation in Storybook Dads. However, when asked about the relationship with their child’s mother, most said there was no change or they didn’t know; however, just over a third said their participation had made the relationship better or much better.
• Over half of the primary caregivers and family/whānau also reported that the father’s participation in Storybook Dads had improved his relationship with his child. However, less than half of that group reported that it had a positive impact on their own relationship with the father.
• Corrections and Methodist Mission staff commented on how participation in Storybook Dads had a positive impact on prisoners’ self-esteem, behaviour in prison, and relationships with other people.
• Storybook Dads participants showed an average increase in literacy development of 0.59 steps when measured against the Read with Understanding strand of the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission’s (2008) Learning Progressions for Adult Literacy Handbook. Participants in both the Storybook Dads and the Corrections Literacy programmes gained slightly more literacy steps, with an average of 0.63, but this was not significant.
• Qualitative data show how the group environment of Storybook Dad promotes trust, cooperation, and collaboration between participants and Methodist Mission tutors, as well as among the men themselves. This supportive group environment allows participants to discuss parenting concerns and their affection for their child/ren without risk of censure.

Key Recommendations

Development and adaptation of other programmes | The development and adaptation of other programmes that: can use the idea of improving relationships as a fundamental element; and that contain activities that include the participant’s children either in person or by distance, for example, children and whānau visits for story selection and reading, or shared story writing.

Development of variations and extensions to the programme | The development of variations and extensions to the programme, such as programme expansion to other sites (e.g. women’s prisons), a Pasifika programme, or drama-focused programmes where the men write their own scripts, which could potentially even include a performance to which children and whānau are invited.

Long-term funding model | Establishment of an adequate, appropriate, long-term funding model for the programme.

Further research | Further research into the following areas:

• How and why the prison environment produces literacy gains above levels suggested in other research?
• Post-release investigations of the programme participants in order to examine long-term literacy gains, rates of re-offending and relationship maintenance with children, whānau, and others.
• The child’s literacy development after receiving the DVD and book made by their father.
• Comparison between Storybook Dads programme delivered at the Otago Corrections Facility with variations delivered at other sites.
• Comparison of literacy scores between prisoners who participated only in the Department of Corrections literacy programme and prisoners who participated in both that programme and Storybook Dads in order to fully establish and examine the cause of the identified literacy gains.