South Carolina Launched Riley's Readers Program

The initiative helps incarcerated parents in South Carolina connect with their children through recorded readings.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Criminal Justice

South Carolina Launched Riley's Readers Program

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Launched in 2016 at Furman University, the Riley's Readers program allows inmates across 21 South Carolina correctional institutions to record themselves reading books for their families. The program serves approximately 500 inmates each year.

Why it matters

The program serves as an incentive for inmates to maintain clean behavior while facilitating connections between incarcerated parents and their children or grandchildren. It is supported by a grant from the Department of Social Services.

Inmates must maintain clean behavior for at least 6 months to qualify for the program. Participants are permitted to record up to 2 books per child.

The players

South Carolina Department of Corrections

This state agency manages the prison system and operates the Riley's Readers program across 21 facilities.

Riley Institute

The institute is based at Furman University and developed the Diversity Leaders Initiative that created this program.

Department of Social Services

This state government department provides the grant funding necessary to operate the literacy initiative.

The details

Inmates record themselves reading books and include a message on a Post-it note for their relatives, with all recordings undergoing a review process before being mailed. The program has expanded over time to include connections between incarcerated individuals and their grandchildren.

The Riley's Readers program was started at Furman University in 2016.
The program has issued 1,500 books over the past few years.
The program serves 500 inmates annually.

Legal Context

The program operates as a community engagement project under the Riley Institute's Diversity Leaders Initiative, which encourages systemic social improvements. It functions as a structured approach to rehabilitation that mirrors other restorative justice practices used in the state.

This program provides a mechanism for maintaining family ties during incarceration, which can influence long-term recidivism rates. Families of inmates are the primary beneficiaries, receiving personalized messages and readings that bridge the gap caused by physical separation.

The takeaway

Maintaining familial bonds during incarceration is often cited as a key factor in successful re-entry programs. By incentivizing good behavior through reading, the facility creates a tangible benefit for both the parent and the child.