We are excited to be able to bring Irlen technology to the incarcerated population on a large scale. Irlen Syndrome is very prevalent in prison populations, and access to Irlen solutions can have a dramatic impact on these individuals’ futures.”
The Irlen Colored Overlay App will soon be available to incarcerated juveniles and adults across the country, thanks to a new partnership with American Prison Data Systems (APDS). APDS is a Public Benefit Corporation that is bringing tablets built specifically for correctional facilities directly to inmates. With a 1-to-1 tablet-to-inmate ratio, APDS is using technology to help educate inmates and reduce recidivism. A recent article in the International Business Times explains, “The APDS tablets come pre-loaded with a wide variety of educational tools. And rather than charge inmates for the tablets, Grewe and his team are selling directly to the correctional facility. The pitch? It will reduce violence in the jail, and it will ultimately lower the number of repeat offenders.”
What’s most exciting, is that these tablet will also be loaded with the Irlen Colored Overlay App, making the educational content on the devices more accessible to inmates with Irlen Syndrome. A study published in the Journal of Corrections in 2000 concluded, “Up to 80% of inmates suffer from Irlen Syndrome. When given remedial Irlen Colored Overlays, 56% demonstrated considerable reading improvement.” The prison population is at extraordinarily high risk for Irlen Syndrome. If the goal of providing educational and career training materials to inmates is to offer them a way to ensure success on the outside, then increasing access to this material by including the Irlen Colored Overlay App on these devices makes an incredible amount of sense. We’re proud to be a part of this revolutionary new content delivery system.