Skip navigation.
Home | About Us | Contact Us
Rick Scott, Governor
Florida Department of Corrections, Secretary Michael D. Crews

Florida Department of Corrections
Michael D. Crews, Secretary

1999-2000 Annual Reportfirst | previous | 43 of 96 | next

INMATE ADMISSIONS

Inmates Test at Around the Sixth Grade Level;
70% Not Functionally Literate

When inmates come into prison, they are tested to determine their educational level in the form of a school grade level. The table on the right lists the grade levels indicated by the TABE (Tests of Adult Basic Education) scores of those inmates admitted into prison during the FY1999-00. Inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

  • Of all the scores analyzed, the median test score (half the scores were above and half were below this score) was 6.3.
  • The tested grade level achieved most often (14.2%) was the fifth grade.

The table below groups the grade levels of the inmates admitted during the 1999-2000 fiscal year into three different categories—less than basic literacy, basic literacy, or functional literacy. Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

  • About 70 percent had less than functional literacy skills (less than 9.0 grade level).
  • Half of the tested inmates were classified as having basic literacy skills (4.0 to 8.9 grade levels).

Tested Education Grade Level at Admission
(First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE]
Scores for FY 1999-2000)

Grade Level Male Female Total Percent Cumulative Percent
1
373
34
407
1.8%
1.8%
2
1,596
190
1,786
7.8%
9.6%
3
2,239
263
2,502
10.9%
20.5%
4
2,018
197
2,215
9.6%
30.1%
5
2,982
281
3,263
14.2%
44.3%
6
2,589
273
2,862
12.4%
56.7%
7
1,499
182
1,681
7.3%
64.0%
8
1,341
135
1,476
6.4%
70.5%
9
1,817
179
1,996
8.7%
79.1%
10
686
72
758
3.3%
82.4%
11
1,364
139
1,503
6.5%
89.0%
12
2,342
209
2,551
11.1%
100.0%
Data Unavailable
2,595
148
2,743
 
 
Total
23,441
2,302
25,743
100.00%
100.00%
Median
6.3
6.3
6.3
 
 

1999-2000 Annual Reportfirst | previous | 43 of 96 | next