The First Step Act, a bipartisan bill signed into federal law in 2018, defines dyslexia as “an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds or spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell.”
“The Senate recently passed a criminal-justice-reform bill called the First Step Act. Why does this matter to the dyslexia community? Research finds that prison populations have higher-than-average rates of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a leading cause of illiteracy, a risk factor for criminal behavior. It also can impede inmates in earning their GEDs while in prison, making it more difficult to enter the workforce after being released and contributing to recidivism. The First Step Act includes provisions for screening inmates for dyslexia and provides the supports needed by those who have dyslexia to earn a GED” Source from Dyslexiaida.org