Pages for pardons? In Bolivia, inmates can cut jail time by reading

An inmate reads the bible in prison where she and fellow inmates have access to a small library as part of a program that aims to spread literacy and offer the chance to get out of jail earlier, in La Paz, Bolivia April 29, 2022. REUTERS/Claudia Morales

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Inmates in Bolivia's overcrowded prisons are now able to reduce their jail time by reading books in a new program influenced by one in Brazil that aims to spread literacy and give hope despite a notoriously slow judicial process.

The state program "Books behind bars" offers detainees a chance get out of jail days or weeks in advance of their release date. Bolivia does not have a life sentence or death penalty, but pre-trial detention can last for many years due to a slow judicial system.