Results indicate that neither program was superior, though all participants, students and tutors, significantly improved in one or more area of the basic literacy; all participants made progress in at least one area of reading skill, irrespective of program or student/tutor status. This study demonstrates that with effective intervention, low literate individuals can acquire reading skills within a structured program. Other researchers have noted the clear link between effective correctional education programs and reduced recidivism rates. By addressing basic literacy skills to improve the likelihood that incarcerated individuals will pursue adult education programs leading to a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), may be a missing link in the prison education curriculum. The student participants clearly benefited from the reading instruction. In fact, anecdotally, four of the students reached the 6th grade reading level and will be entering the GED program at the facility. Data in the areas of basic literacy, such as word identification, word attack, and reading comprehension were collected from 27 inmates enrolled in an adult basic literacy program in a medium security male prison in Alabama, using the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised/NU. Tables and references