Prisoners Connect with Of Mice and Men

On Nov. 10, 2009 the BBC featured Stories Connect, a program for prisoners, ex-offenders, and addicts that helps address emotions through reading. Of Mice and Men, along with Oliver Twist and Touching the Void, is cited as one of the classic books that resonates with the individuals in Stories Connect.

The organizers of Stories Connect believe that reading of stories and fictional characters reduces crime. The University of Exeter (England) discovered Stories Connect and is doing a long-term study on its effectiveness. If the results are positive, they would like to explore the idea of bringing stories to other forums—for example, the National Health Service, to patients with long-term illnesses, pain management issues, and other ailments.