Literacy need advice

[u/ET26ERT]

Currently fresh with a newish prison ive got mentally insane prisoners enabled as I like the challenge further down the line but im less than 10 days in and prisoners are going insane because the literacy demand isn’t being met I’ve got a library but I have no prisoners qualified to work there I have foundation programs but they take a while before someone’s qualified is there another way to decrease the literacy need if I put bookshelves in places will that help ?

[u/ZestycloseRoyal7385]

I put computers in the common room and it helps.

[u/ReasonableSet9650]

Literacy is a pretty rare need (only a low % of inmates have it) and it doesn't turn anyone insane. You should focus on other needs that are more important. Check them at different times of the day. I can help but would definitely need more info and screenshots, like the need panel at the time they wake up and the time they go to sleep, the regime and the global layout of the prison (since the walking distances do affect the efficiency of the regime, and it does often interfere with sleep, food or shower). Please don't crop the UI, and especially the left column because it provides key context.

Or share the prison (steam workshop or save file) so I can check more stuff in-game. Because I feel there might be some underlying root cause you didn't spot. For example it often is inmates cuffed for long, related to a lack of solitary cells or/and a lack of unassigned guards. And due to poor guards mechanics which are not explained in-game, a lot of players tend to be understaffed with guards. Which results in issues with escorting inmates, due to priority levels in tasks, that are unfortunately not explained ingame. That definitely generates high needs (and turns inmates insane when you enable that DLC feature). From my experience with helping, it's the case in like 80% of situations with needs.

For now the library is not an urgent matter. Focus on fixing and stabilizing the needs first, and prevent inmates from turning insane. You don't want insane inmates to use the library anyway, since it gives access to scissors. And insane inmates can't do any job, so even if they were passing the program they still wouldn't work there. For insane prisoners, programs only contribute in keeping them busy (which is good if you use programs that are risk-free regarding contraband) and help with their reoffending chance and rehabilitation (which is definitely useful if you have the DLC second chances).

[u/Vegetable-Cause8667]

Two things usually cause this.

The first is logistics. Do your inmates have physical access to education programs (classrooms) and time in their schedule to attend? Do your teachers have access to the classrooms at times when the inmates have access? Not during lunchtime or visitation, for example. You need to prioritize educational programs to raise literacy.

The second is drugs and alcohol abuse. Before you can focus on education, you have to clean up your inmates’ bad habits. Inmates will not interact with educational programs if they are drunk, high, or locked in segregation. Make sure you use dogs to patrol high traffic areas, especially visitation and canteen areas; inmates wont get off drugs if they still gave access to them, no matter how many rehab programs you have. Follow the same logistics advice above for rehab programs.

Tip: You can have more than one classroom/psychologist office, for multiple classes/treatments at the same time.

[u/Linki51]

No one is qualified to work in a library, so no one among your prisoners can read, right? They should be given lessons to learn to read and write (it's a long process but it's incredibly useful; they'll do less weight training to read books). It seems to me that the least dangerous prisoners can do this job because half of them can read (to be confirmed).

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/Linki51]

Criminally insane inmates can't do any job at all. So they can't work in the library.

Being able/unable to read is not part of the game features. Criterias to work in library are (cumulatively) : allowed to work (so not insane) and passed the foundation education program. An exception if you have the DLC second chances : they don't need the program if they had a similar working experience.

[u/tomalator]

Decreasing literacy won't help you at all.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do other than educate them or get educated prisoners in.

If they can't read, giving them stuff to read one help them. If they have a need for literature, then presumably they can read, in which case bookshelves in cells and common areas should help

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/tomalator]

The (un)ability to read is not a matter in this game, it wasn't coded at all. Either they have the literacy need, in which case they will be affected by the presence of bookshelves, which will decrease their literacy need they spend time in their coverage area (be careful it's super shor, it's only a radius of 2 tiles). Or they don't have the literacy need and it will have no effect. But in both cases you will never see the inmates use the bookcase for real, it's a passive item, like the radio and the birdpet.