Presos que leen y escriben: alfabetismo útil de trabajadores porteños en prisión (ca.1900-1914) Inmates who read and write: useful literacy of Buenos Aires workers in prison (ca.1900-1914)

: We present different issues around literacy skills of the penal population of the Penitenciaria Nacional de Buenos Aires at the beginning of the 20th century. From inmates' journals and interactions between prison authorities and inmates, it is possible to question, from a subordinate perspective, the ways through which workers acquired the first letters, and the way this experience - practical literacy affected their lives, opportunities, and attitudes towards the literate city.